Understanding Your Child's Personality

‍

Wondering about the different child personality types? Read on, and we’ll break down everything you need to know about child personality traits!

‍

Personality is one of the primary facets of life; it governs everything from social dynamics to political conflict. But what fuels personality, and where does it come from? The question has perplexed psychologists for a long time, and different theories have emerged throughout the years.

Children, however, would seem to be a good start. After all, seeing someone’s temperament as a child can give insight into who they are as adults. One of the most pressing questions then is how a parent can best nurture their children while taking into account their unique personality types.

Going against certain innate traits can make your life difficult as well as incredibly frustrating for your child. With the right tips and advice, you can look forward to a more positive dynamic that sets your child up for a prosperous future. Instead of working harder, you can parent smarter with less effort.

Without further delay, let’s get into the different kinds of child personality characteristics!

What Is Personality?

Personality describes the unique temperaments and dispositions of several kinds of animals and species. Scientific research mostly focuses on people and also children. The personality of children can help explain why certain children are more expressive than others, why some enjoy creative hobbies, and why some are more conflict-prone.

The reasons why individuals grow into different personalities are complex and consider their entire life and upbringing. What’s more, similar personalities can differentiate themselves when presented with unique circumstances. Also, if you’re considering homeschooling, understanding your child’s personality can be crucial.

Although no personalities are better or worse, psychometrically speaking, some flourish better in certain environments. As a parent, understanding how your child’s personality and your own intersect can help shed light on your parenting practices and what’s likely to be effective and ineffective when working with your child.

Identifying Four Types of Children's Personalities

When reading about the four different types of personalities, keep in mind that your child may take attributes from several different areas. Although there is some overlap within the classifications, some parents may find their child neatly fits into one or more categories.

Also, remember that there’s evidence that some traits, such as self-esteem, are established relatively early. So, it’s best not to be too hard on yourself, thinking you have more influence on your child than you do.

Sanguine/Expressive

These kinds of children seek adventure and novelty. Having a parent or caregiver who provides positive affirmation, reinforcement, and affection will help give expressive children the safety and security they need to become confident adults.

The sanguine child will resist strict routines as well as overly bureaucratic schedules and structures. It’s best to give healthy room for open-ended activities in their day. Without having appropriate avenues for exploration, these precocious kids can get themselves into trouble or mischief.

You’ll also find that expressive children are able to communicate well with others and are quite creative and insightful. Creative games, novel activities, and unique kinds of art and music will get sanguine children passionate and excited. Kids with expressive personalities can fare well in extracurricular settings. 

Phlegmatic/Loyal

The loyal child will try their best to promote group harmony. If they have a grievance or something on their chest, they’ll try to let you know in a polite way what’s bothering them. This stems from their desire to seek out close relationships over passive ones. It’s important for them to feel heard and understood.

Phlegmatics opt for routines and structure and tend to shy away from new risks or potential hazards. It’s also the case that they tend to be highly optimistic, deriving a great sense of joy from helping others. Overall, peace between their peers, lack of conflict, and a pleasant atmosphere can create an ideal study environment for them.

Melancholic/Analytical

Analytical children are characterized by a more serious temperament that comes across as very mature to adults. These kids prefer speaking in a more professional fashion and are deeply reflective. While they may seem overly serious, they can actually be very playful and sociable.

It’s best to understand that the analytical child is very orderly and fares best with a consistent routine and schedule. Their desire to be right and succeed should be clearly defined with goals and parameters that they can strive to achieve on a regular basis. Any kind of chaos can derail their progress and hinder their development.

When speaking to an analytical child, be sure not to come across as too critical. These introspective thinkers tend to ruminate on potential errors in their behavior and are best served in an open environment with positive reinforcement to set them in the right direction.

Choleric/Dominant

Parents of dominant children should be aware of their somewhat withdrawn demeanor. Although they can sometimes be quiet and keep to themselves, dominant children aren’t necessarily shy about social situations and encounters. These kids like excelling in different areas, such as academics or athletics, to get ahead of their peers.

Without having a sense of achievement to compete with others, dominant children can begin to feel lost. That’s why, as a parent, it can be helpful to go over any activities or interests your child may have and see what appropriate avenues there are for them to explore. Eventually, you’ll understand what motivates them to learn.

When working with a dominant child, you can often incentivize them by making activities into games with clear goals. It’s also key to communicate to dominant children why working hard in life will help them in the future. Occasionally, firstborn children will fall into the dominant archetype and strive for personal achievement and success.

FAQs

Still confused about child personality descriptions? Check out our expert answers below!

1. How to Understand the Personality of Your Child?

Understanding the personality of your child takes time and careful observation. You may want to reflect on how you’ve interacted with them in the past. For instance, consider what situations they tend to do well in and others in which they struggle. Seeing how they function in different environments can shed light on their personality.

Too often, parents try to get their children to fit into a preconceived mold or vision they have for them. While they may have good intent, it’s important to understand that there are unique dispositions that mean children need different kinds of attention and activities to perform to the best of their abilities. 

There are also some factors outside of your control. For instance, children who are the only child will sometimes be less friendly or more withdrawn than other children. There are certain factors in your child’s environment that will be beyond your control. Thus, it’s important to remind yourself you won’t be able to fully decide your child’s trajectory.

2. How Do Parents Influence Their Child’s Personality?

Parents can make overt decisions that influence their child’s development as well as inadvertently influence them. For instance, encouraging them to pursue certain extracurriculars can help shape what kinds of things they like. Say they join a sports league and become more competitive or sociable.

You may also accidentally influence your child’s personality without noticing it. If you have anxieties or fears about certain things in your environment, you may unknowingly display these aversions in front of your child and make them second-guess, taking related risks.

The bottom line is being overly strict can have a negative impact on your child’s personality. This is reinforced by the nurture assumption, where patience and understanding lead to better child temperament outcomes than hostile parenting dynamics.

3. How Do Parenting Styles Affect Child's Personality?

Different parenting styles can create positive and negative feedback loops with children. For instance, a parent who lacks routines and directives is likely to confer this outlook onto their kids. For certain types of personalities, this can be especially detrimental. Other parents may not line up with their kids on sociability or risk-taking.

Although you can affect your child’s personality to a certain extent, there are likely innate limits in their disposition that cannot be modified through simple encouragement. Some children will always have tendencies to ruminate and be shy in new situations. This is normal. What parents should do is try to find a healthy balance.

While you can do your best to tweak some intrinsic traits your child may have, it’s often a far better idea to see where you feel your child is most healthy and happy. If your child isn’t particularly social but loves bonding over more niche activities, this is great and something to be nurtured. Trying out new activities and settings is always a good idea.

Final Thoughts

Child personality types can be overwhelming to think about. Many parents find the different types and traits too numerous to internalize and apply to their own lives as a parent. What caregivers should remember is that personality is descriptive, not prescriptive. It’s unlikely that any child will fit into a single box without ambiguity.

Having a mental framework of different personality types can make a big difference without getting too technical. If your child craves novelty and new experiences, then planning events in advance can ensure they have something to look forward to. Conversely, if a child thrives with structure and goals, then help them with a routine.

Perhaps the more interesting point to take away from personality types for children is the unique interaction every parent has with their child as a result of their own personality. Although no parent is perfect, making decisions that take into account unique temperament can give you a leg up for years to come.