Allard, L. T. & Hunter, A. (2010). Understanding temperament in infants and toddlers. Retrieved from http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/resources/wwb/wwb23.html Brazelton, T. B. (1983). Infants and mothers: Differences in development (revised edition). New York, NY: Dell. Center for Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation. (n.d.). Infant toddler temperament tool (IT3). Retrieved from http://www.ecmhc.org/temperament/ Levine, M. (2006). The price of privilege: […]
Two-year-old Ava feels shy and cautious at birthday parties. Ava’s mother, Joan, tries everything she can to make Ava comfortable, but is getting frustrated when Ava clings to her at parties. Ava is a quiet child, but this behavior is extreme. Joan is an outgoing person who thinks that perhaps Ava is overwhelmed by too […]
Once you understand your child’s temperament, develop strategies that honor both your child’s temperament and her need to adapt to the surrounding environment. • Help your child express her feelings, desires, and preferences. • Anticipate issues before they occur, including situations that will overly frustrate or challenge her. Some frustration is important for growth, but […]
Think about yourself and your own temperament. Understanding your own temperament will help you identify the “goodness of fit” between your temperament and that of your child. Perhaps you’re an early riser while your child is a night owl. Did you, an introvert, give birth to a social butterfly? Are you stunned at how different […]
Your child is unique, and so are you. We all arrive into the world with a special combination of mental, physical, and emotional traits that make up what scientists call “disposition” or “temperament.” These traits are closely interwoven, and set the stage for how we interact with the world—and how the world responds to us. […]
Get to Know Your Child Better “The art of life is a constant readjustment to our surroundings.” – KAKUZO OKAKURA
Gopnik, A., Meltzoff, A. N., & Kuhl, P. (2000). The scientist in the crib: What early learning tells us about the mind. New York, NY: Harper Perennial.
One of the best strategies to help your baby learn to speak is to take the time to slow down the conversation. Give your baby time to respond, verbally and nonverbally. Imitate her sounds and expressions along with your own words. Imagine taking your preverbal baby to the market. You can use parentese to help […]
Parentese isn’t the same as baby talk, which is basically made-up words. Instead, parentese is actually tailored to help your baby learn! Scientific research confirms that parentese enables babies to more easily distinguish the sounds and rhythms of their native language. Babies actually prefer parentese to the kind of speech we use with adults; they […]
Do you talk to your baby differently than you talk to other adults? If you’re like most parents, you absolutely do—and very differently at that. The playful, exaggerated style of speech that you use to talk with your baby is called “parentese.” Parentese is distinguished by: • Slower speech patterns. • Raised speech pitch by […]
