Greetings Families,

I hope that the EEC Community Coffee Chat this month was helpful and insightful. As always, please let us know if there is a topic you would like us to cover, and we will be happy to oblige!

Fall is finally here! The EEC is excited for Pumpkin Spice and Apple Cinnamon playdough, baked bread, and plenty of Fall provocations. There is a unique essence to this season, and we are excited to share some fun upcoming activities with families!

Our topic for this month centers around temperaments and how to navigate behavior to support children’s autonomy with the least bit of resistance. Below is a list of temperaments with tips and tricks to shape a child’s personality and approach to life.

Activity level

• Plan ahead - Provide activities such as the park, swimming, gymnastics, or dance. Try to match your expectations to the child’s abilities.
• Schedule time for yourself - ​​​​​​​Get a babysitter, ask a friend, or family member to give yourself a break! Self-care never leaves you empty handed.
• Learn to love your child for who they are.​​​​​ - Celebrate their strengths and the abundance of energy they possess.

Rhythmicity

• Plan ahead​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ - Morning, afternoon, and evening routines should stay consistent while taking the lead of the child.
• Set an intention​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ - Take time to reflect on the day before or the week before to tweak the routine as needed with the child needs in mind.
• Follow through​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ - Always keep the routine the same until the child has indicated that they are ready for a change in their rhythm.

Initial Response

• Accept them for who they are.​​​​​​​ - Learn to parent from the child’s lens. If they are anxious, hold that space for them by offering emotional support.
• Recognize cues - Look for signs!Children will always show these cues in verbal and non-verbal ways in addition to their body language.
• Respect their boundaries​​​​​​​ - Let them take the lead and be prepared to respond to their cues in nurturing and encouraging ways.

Adaptability

• Give as much as time as needed. - Expect to give children time to feel into the new experience.
• Be patient​​​​​​​ - Patience for both yourself and the children will save you from discomfort and unhappiness.
• Allow for their temperament. - Keep expectations at bay and go with the flow.

Sensory Threshold

• Be prepared to allow for sensitivity to random things!​​​​​​​ - Expect time for engagement.
• Know their cues to various situations. - Learn their moods and behaviors to different sensory input and plan accordingly.
• Discover what engages their attention. - Know their sensory information and create opportunities for them to explore and experiment.

Quality of Mood

• They vacillate between moods​​​​​​​ - Children are not able to fully understand when certain moods are better than others. Therefore, it is important to not take things personally.
• Perspectives are unique​​​​​​​ - Each child is unique and so are their moods. For those children who tend to stay on the darker side of emotions, help them move towards the positive with your patience, nurture, and respect for who they are.
• Continue to educate yourself​​​​​​​ - Look for support from friends, family, community resources, or parenting  groups/blogs. We just updated our Resources page with some fabulous websites! You are not alone!

Remember to see each temperament as an opportunity to know your child on a deeper level. Their uniqueness will flourish as they learn from you and vice versa.

Take care,

Natalee & The EEC Team