Many parents blessed with splendid pregnancies and angelic babies fear torrid toddler years and beyond. However a new study published in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology says that pleasant tempered babies are more likely to maintain good behavior later in life.
It is well known that teaching your child the importance of reading is one of the most powerful gifts you can give them. Researchers from the University of Chicago might agree after they followed nearly 1,900 children from infancy up to age 13. The findings published in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology said:
Children whose mothers gave them plenty of intellectual stimulation in the first year of life — reading to them, talking to them and taking them out of the house — were less likely to have serious behavioral problems.
To see what else may determine a wee one's future behavior, read more.
The study also found:
The odds of behavior problems were also linked to certain measures of the children's temperament during infancy — such as how "fussy" they were, or whether they had a generally happy or more moody disposition.
While many factors play a role in what kind of person an infant matures into, it certainly makes sense that a child who is coddled, hugged, read to and loved would encounter less behavioral problems than a youngster who missed out on those affectionate times. But, do you concede that a child's early fussy temperament could be a glimpse into an imminent troubled personality?
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Yes, I think that a baby's temperament could be a factor for troubles later on. But I think that how parents deal with that temperament is going to be a factor as well. I think it is both environmental and genetic factors at work, here.
It's my opinion that babies need structure to feel their best. Some babies are angelic right from the start - they aren't a lot of work and they wake up cooing and giggling whereas others wake up screaming and seem hard to please. Giving the hard to please type of baby a schedule is incredibly important. And then later on as they grow up, giving them guidelines and ENFORCING those guidelines will also help.