Your Child’s Temperament

1. Your Child’s Temperament Understanding, appreciating and developing your children’s unique personality Goals for our discussion: • To understand the strengths and weaknesses of your children • To understand how you & your child’s temperaments interact

2. Your Child’s Temperament • To guide your children in establishing realistic goals for themselves Temperament classification: • It observes how surroundings affect one’s feelings, intellect and will - & which one predominately determines one’s actions.

3. Your Child’s Temperament

4. Your Child’s TemperamentThe Sanguine Strengths Weaknesses Outgoing Distracted “I forgot” Friendly Easily bored Happy Moody/ hot tempered Spontaneous Exaggerates Fun Little impulse control Empathetic Disorganized Talkative Weak-willed Swift mood swings Seeks attention

5. Your Child’s TemperamentThe Sanguine They fully intend to be obedient and please but they get swept away with curiosity or a change of environment. Although many times he seems to be premeditatedly disobedient, he actually is just forgetting the past and engulfed in the present moment. He easily forgets the past punishment and does not consider the problem is disobedience may present him. How to Develop Your Child’s Temperament by Beverly LaHaye pg. 16

6. Your Child’s TemperamentThe Sanguine • Dealing with the weaknesses: • Help them learn to follow- through by coming up with reminder aids. • Must learn to lean against their feelings • Teach them healthy fear • Teach them honesty • Give consequences (deny social)

7. Your Child’s TemperamentThe Sanguine • Weaknesses continued: • Delayed gratification • They do make choices • Developing strengths: • Acts of mercy and compassion • Help them actualize their big (but realistic) dreams.

8. Your Child’s TemperamentThe Choleric Strengths Weaknesses Strong willed Strong willed Independent Unaffectionate Leader Defiant Practical Bossy Decisive Mean Confident Proud Perseverance Impatient Productive Crafty

9. Your Child’s TemperamentThe Choleric • Dealing with the weaknesses: • You must win their respect and the battle with firmness and on principle • Consistent consequences • They must learn to admit wrong & apologize • Must develop empathy • Ability to be grateful and enjoy what is.

10. Your Child’s TemperamentThe Choleric • Developing strengths: • Leadership • Responsibility • Problem-solving & building

11. Your Child’s TemperamentThe Melancholic Strengths Weaknesses Deep thinker Pessimistic Creative Unforgiving Idealistic Perfectionistic Sensitive Indecisive Loyal Distrustful Detailed Fearful Thoughtful Critical Gifted Rigid

12. Your Child’s TemperamentThe Melancholic “It is easy for him to have his feelings hurt and to feel inferior, believing that others do not like him. Even though he may possess the greatest talents of any of the temperaments, he suffers under the delusion of an inferiority complex.” How to Develop Your Child’s Temperament Beverly LaHaye pg. 21-22. Because of his sensitive nature and tendency towards perfection, you must be careful of how you critic.

13. Your Child’s TemperamentThe Melancholic • Dealing with the weaknesses: • Accept the imperfections of life • Keep them talking • Teach them gratitude • Teach them to distrust their conclusions • They must forgive and ask forgiveness • Teach them to face their fears

14. Your Child’s TemperamentThe Melancholic • Developing strengths: • Develop their creative abilities • Develop their passions and concerns • Tap into their insight

15. Your Child’s TemperamentThe Phlegmatic Strengths Weaknesses Dependable Fearful Diplomat Indecisive Adaptable Indifferent Friendly Aimless Observer Unmotivated Patient Teaser Diplomatic Self-righteous Easy going Stingy

16. Your Child’s TemperamentThe Phlegmatic • Dealing with the weaknesses: • Get them moving and involved • Help them develop opinions and convictions • Help them enter and resolve conflict • Follow through in a timely manner • Urge “scary steps”

17. Your Child’s TemperamentThe Phlegmatic • Developing Strengths: • S/he is the peacemaker • Can be a calm stabilizing force • Is usually a practical thinker • Find interest and help keep them involved

18. Your Child’s Temperament • General guidelines for understanding of weaknesses: • You will need more patience with each temperamental weakness (Ephesians 6:4) • Don’t allow them to use it as an excuse • Lean against judging their motives

19. Your Child’s Temperament • Parent/ Child dynamic: • Know your own temperament and understand the dynamic between the two • Explain temperamental differences to your children • Allow your child’s strengths to help you grow

20. Your Child’s Temperament • Finding God’s beauty in diversity: • He says we all are his masterpieces • He designed us to be interdependent • He gives us truth so we know how to relate to them & develop them • He offers us His forgiveness and Holy Spirit • He gives us His infinite love so we have abundance to give

21. Your Child’s TemperamentReading • Temperament & the Christian Faith O. Hallesby • Transformed Temperaments Tim LaHaye • How to Develop Your Child’s Temperament Beverly LaHaye • Parenting With Love and Logic Cline & Fay