Windrush Presents: Understanding Children's Temperament January 30, 2008

Windrush School is proud to present Rona Renner, R.N., for this discussion of the nine temperament traits identified by longitudinal research as influencing adjustment throughout life. The traits include activity level, adaptability, mood, persistence, and attention span, and exist along a continuum. Understanding your child's temperament and your own can increase harmony at home and success at school.

"Temperament" is a person's first and most natural way of responding. It's the way they move in the world. Just as some children are born with curly hair and others with straight hair, some children are high energy right from birth and may want to interact with you all the time, while other babies are happy to play quietly in their crib while you make dinner. Our children come into the world with a style all their own.

There may be differing "goodness of fit" between adult and child temperaments. For example: Your high energy daughter may want you to practice soccer with her when she wakes up, but you may have lower energy and want to sit and read the paper or sleep in. Your son may be slow to warm up, so when you go to a relatives house he may want to sit on your lap. Just because you're outgoing and friendly, doesn't mean that he will be that way.

Rona has been a nurse for over 40 years, and served at Kaiser Permanente as a Temperament Specialist, helping parents adjust their approach to parenting in light of their children's individual temperaments. She is also the host of Childhood Matters, a radio show heard every Sunday at 9:00 a.m. on 98.1 KISS FM and on the web at www.childhoodmatters.org. This event is free, open to the public, and appropriate for parents and teachers of kids of all ages.

Please allow time for parking, or walk uphill from the El Cerrito Del Norte BART Station. For directions and further information about Windrush School, go to http://www.windrush.org

An RSVP is welcome, but not required, to [email protected]

Free.

Official Website: http://windrush.org