No doubt different individuals including children vary in behavior. This includes children born by different parents, children from the same parents, twin, quadruplets, etc.
Every individual differs in personality. These behavioral and personality differences in human is referred to as Temperament.
A child’s temperament determines his/her thought patterns, actions, and reactions. Each temperament has its strengths and weaknesses which form a distinct make-up of your child’s life.
However, parents must understand their child’s unique temperament to figure out the best parenting style to implement.
Ready to learn more about your child’s temperament? Keep reading this review.
Different Types of Temperament
Four basic temperaments would likely remind you of your child, friend, family member, or even yourself. We have described each one for you.
- Choleric:
A Choleric child is practically an extrovert. Such a child is active, strong-willed, and very much independent.
He/she is usually focused, determined, and a quick decision-maker. The choleric individuals do not let anything or anyone stand in their way once set to achieve a goal.
Thus, a choleric individual is a goal-getter. However, cholerics tend to be bossy and domineering. They do not hesitate to impose their wills on others and are easily provoked to anger.
A choleric child is hardly emotional and does not easily sympathize with others.
- Melancholic:
The Melancholics are typical introverts. They are very creative, meticulous, gifted, and emotional.
A melancholic child is self-sacrificing. He/she can go out of his/her way to meet other people’s needs.
They are faithful and trustworthy friends. The melancholics hardly make friends.
Rather, they wait for others to come to them. However, they have likable personalities.
This set of children gets easily moody. Sometimes you will find them depressed and at other times they are overly excited.
Melancholics are great lovers of music and art. They have so many natural abilities and are great thinkers.
- Sanguine:
These individuals are very lively, emotional, enjoyable, receptive, friendly, and great storytellers.
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Of course, the sanguine is super extroverted. They are given to lift the spirits of people wherever they enter.
They are very conversational as they have many things to talk about. Thus, there is no dull moment with a sanguine.
However, they can easily speak out of turn and are often unstable.
- Phlegmatic:
The phlegmatic child is very peaceful. He/she is often very calm, cool but slow.
Phlegmatics always avoid violence. They would hardly get involved in the activities of others.
This set of individuals will not volunteer for any leadership role unless forced to do so. Although, they are capable of making great leaders.
The phlegmatics are art lovers and appreciate beautiful things. They get emotional but do not show it.
The phlegmatic is never agitated no matter the circumstances surrounding them.
Ways Parenting Styles Impacts your Child’s Temperament
You can get the best out of your child irrespective of his/her temperament. Discovering the right parenting style that suits such a child will help achieve this.
The Choleric Child:
Due to the behaviour and personality of the choleric child, he/she deserves the authoritarian parenting style.
Since this child is always opinionated, the authoritarian parent will rarely let the child have his/her way at all times. More so, with the high level of control from the authoritarian parent, the bossy and domineering nature of the choleric child is curbed.
Nonetheless, an authoritative parenting style can also be introduced in raising choleric children. This would enable the child not to lose out on parental warmth and affection.
Also, the authoritative parenting pattern helps to retain the child’s self-esteem.
The Melancholic Child:
The permissive parenting style is best employed in dealing with a melancholic child. Such a child requires warmth and affection from his/her parents due to his/her constant emotional breakdowns.
This prevents the child from easily going into depression. Although the permissive parent has little or no control over their children, it does not have much effect on the child.
This is because melancholics are known to be disciplined, analytical, and intelligent. However, there ought to be a measure of control over the melancholic child to prevent the child from going overboard.
This involves incorporating the authoritative parenting style at some point or another.
The Sanguine Child:
This child requires an authoritative parenting style. The authoritative parent displays high control over their children and sets strict rules guiding their homes.
This parenting pattern hinders the sanguine child from going overboard while trying to be overly lively, conversational, or friendly.
The authoritative parent tames the sanguine child.
More so, parents can also employ the permissive parenting style on the child so that such a child does not become timid.
The Phlegmatic Child:
Without mincing words, the authoritative parenting style does much good in bringing the phlegmatic child out of his/her shell.
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The disciplinarian attribute of the authoritative parents terminates sluggishness from phlegmatics. They encourage their children to always get involved and help bring out the best in them.
