DOES YOUR BABY HAVE A PERSONALITY?
Having successfully survived the baby years of sleepless nights and cantankerous babies, I can safely say that YES and YES, babies do have personalities. Each of my four babies was unique and different in their own magical way. The oldest opened the door to this wonderment of a journey called motherhood and I was hooked at the first baby gurgle. Her firsts were our firsts and we rarely left her alone and therefore, possibly shaped by our doing, she became a very attached child. The next arrived with bang to two busy parents with a toddler, an easygoing child who was quite content to nap as long as his tummy was full. He was a blessing. The third was just another inclusion to the already mini circus we had going, she surprisingly was annoyed at all this noise and commotion, rightfully so, and appeared to be a cranky, I have a complaint and I’ll scream all day type of sort. But unfortunately when you are the third, you just have to wait your turn, since mummy only has two hands. My fourth and last, was a breath of fresh air, she filled my day with laughter and sunshine, a delightfully easy going baby, who was just the perfect piece to our puzzle of six.
As parents we can quickly size up our little bundles of joy, we understand their moods, know their wants...
One could question, whether our actions as parents meld and mould our babies along the way. There is truth to that train of thought, but experts have also concluded that babies are born with their own “temperament”. As parents we can quickly size up our little bundles of joy, we understand their moods, know their wants …though it does not alleviate some of the mysteries of being a parent. Experts have narrowed down babies and their temperament personalities to four main types, which one does your baby fit in?
01. THE EASY GOING BABY
Everyone’s favourite and every family will have one. Don’t worry. These babies make you want to have a hundred more. They sleep, they eat and they coo at just the right moments. They come into your family and accept all the madness and craziness and you can just get on with your life, with baby on the hip.
02. THE CHALLENGING BABY
These babies have a lot of personality. If they have something to say, they have something to say and you better stop and listen. There is no middle way, there is no self soothing. You the parent has to stop and listen up or pretty much baby doomsday of all day crying can and will happen. These little babies will keep you on your toes.
03. THE SENSITIVE BABY
These adorable bundles need to be held a little tightly. Otherwise happy go lucky babies need a little bit of extra love and attention. The big world seems scary to them and they need you to give them that reassurance. Hold them a little longer, a little tighter, they will soon gain that confidence through your presence.
04. THE INTENSE BABY
If you are a parent with two or more children under your belt have you experienced that moment where once you would have bundles of patience when your child is disobedient, suddenly instead of a steady mode of frustration you go from 1 being cool to 10 being volcanic eruption mad. If you are a parent you will understand what I am saying. Well these are the intense babies, if they hungry, if they want their diaper change, it’s not going to be a needy whimper, it will be an earth shattering thunderous scream. They are intense, just hang in there.
Its funny to think that these bundles of joy that we created come with their own moods and temperaments, but they do. To make this parenting journey fun for both, a wise parent will tune into these personalities pretty quick. Happy Parenting.