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Parenting and child development

Temperament

A child's inborn style of reacting to the world, like how active, regular, intense or quick to adapt they are, which shapes behavior from infancy.

What It Means

Temperament is the inborn part of a child's personality: their natural style of reacting to people, places and changes. HealthyChildren.org, the American Academy of Pediatrics' site for parents, calls it a child's emotional style and how easily they adapt, and says it is mostly something children are born with. In the New York Longitudinal Study, begun in the 1950s, Alexander Thomas and Stella Chess rated infants from 2 months of age on nine traits, using parents' reports, and described three broad types: easy, difficult and slow-to-warm-upSlow-to-warm-up childOne of Thomas and Chess's three temperament types: a child who holds back from new people and places at first, then warms up with repeated exposure. See more.

Try It: Pick a Trait and See What It Measures

Thomas and Chess rated nine traits. Pick one to see what it describes.

How much a child moves, fidgets and stays on the go in daily life, which can affect sleep too.

Trait 1 of 9. Every child sits somewhere on each one; none is a score.

How Parents Say It

  • "He's been like this since the day he was born."
  • "She's my easygoing one."
  • "They're both ours, but their temperaments couldn't be more different."

The Breakdown

Thomas and Chess's three types, as reviews in PubMed Central describe them

TypeTypical pattern
EasyRegular eating and sleeping, adapts readily to change, mostly positive mood
DifficultIrregular rhythms, slow to adapt, often withdraws from new things, intense or negative reactions
Slow-to-warm-upLow activity, holds back from new things at first, gets used to them with repeated exposure

The types are broad, qualitative descriptions, and reviews note they are still used today. Where a child sits on each of the nine traits tells you more than the label.

How temperament can show at different ages (our examples)

StageWhat you might notice
InfancyHow regular feeds and naps are, how a baby reacts to a new face or a bath
ToddlerToddlerA child from 1 to 3 years old, the stage CDC's parenting guidance places between infancy and the preschool years. See more and preschoolHow a child handles a new sitter, a crowded party or a change of plan
School ageSticking with homework, settling into a new class, noticing every noise in the room

When to talk to the doctor. Temperament describes a style, and no trait is a disorder. CDC recommends talking with your child's doctor about any concern with how your child plays, learns, speaks, acts or moves. Ask sooner if a pattern gets in the way of eating, sleeping, friendships or school, or changes suddenly.

Where It Comes From

Alexander Thomas and Stella Chess started the New York Longitudinal Study in the 1950s, following children from infancy. From parents' reports on nine traits, starting at 2 months, they described the easy, difficult and slow-to-warm-up types.

Good to Know

HealthyChildren.org suggests learning your child's temperament so you can understand them and appreciate what makes them unique. Knowing the traits can help you plan ahead: extra warning before a transition for a child who adapts slowly, or a quiet break at a noisy party for a child who reacts strongly to sound.

FAQ

Is temperament something a child is born with?

Mostly. HealthyChildren.org says temperament is, for the most part, an inborn quality, and that knowing your child's traits helps you understand and appreciate them.

What are the nine temperament traits?

Thomas and Chess rated activity level, regularity, first reaction to new things, adaptability, intensity, mood, persistence and attention span, distractibility, and sensitivity.

Is a difficult temperament a problem?

It's a description of a style. A child who reacts intensely or adapts slowly may need more patience and preparation, and the doctor is the person to ask if behavior worries you.

Do It in Buhata

Handoff Card

Note what helps your child with change or noise, like "give a five-minute warning before we leave," on your Handoff Card (Premium) in Buhata, so every caregiver knows.

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Related Terms and Categories

  • Easy temperament

    One of Thomas and Chess's three temperament types: a child with regular eating and sleeping, who adapts readily to change and is mostly in a positive mood.

  • Slow-to-warm-up child

    One of Thomas and Chess's three temperament types: a child who holds back from new people and places at first, then warms up with repeated exposure.

  • Spirited child

    Parent educator Mary Sheedy Kurcinka's term for a child who is more intense, sensitive, perceptive, persistent and energetic than most. It isn't a diagnosis.

  • Highly sensitive child

    Researcher Elaine Aron's term for a child with the trait she calls sensory processing sensitivity: deep processing, easily overstimulated, strongly responsive.

  • Social-emotional development

    How a child learns to understand their own feelings, read other people's, and build relationships, from early smiles to taking turns in games.

  • Emotional regulation

    The growing ability to notice a feeling and manage how strongly it shows and how long it lasts, so a child can calm down and carry on.

Parenting and child development

Sources

HealthyChildren.org (AAP), "Understanding Your Child's Temperament: Why It's Important"; "Temperament and Its Role in Developmental Psychopathology" (PubMed Central); "Observed Profiles of Infant Temperament: Stability, Heritability, and Associations with Parenting" (PubMed Central); CDC, "CDC's Developmental Milestones"

Last updated .