What a Baby’s Temperament Tells Us About Their Long-Term Development

{Baby temperament is a common topic of interest among new parents. Parents wonder if temperament predicts anything about their future development. We delve into the research on “difficult” baby temperament to uncover its long-term impact on development}

When my younger son was an infant, I took him with me to one of his older brother’s preschool parties. He and I crowded into the little classroom along with several other moms. As we helped the teachers pass out drinks and snacks, I set my son down on the carpet so he could move around.

Move around he did!

Soon he found a spare chair and started pulling up on it. Then he made is way, by scooting and crawling, to the play kitchen. Soon enough, he starting throwing the play food out of the cabinets, piece by piece.

About that time I noticed that another mom had brought her baby that was about the same age. It didn’t take long for me to notice that while my son was systemically destroying the room, her son was sitting next to her contently cooing and chewing on a teether. The other mom and I started chatting and she commented on the active nature of my son (in a nice way). We compared notes and found out that our two babies were born only days apart. In fact, we learned that they were delivered at the same hospitals and that we were probably in the maternity ward at the same time!

We were finishing the party by that point and I had finally resorted to putting my son into the baby carrier strapped to my chest so I could help clean up.

I left the party feeling a little flustered and wondering: how can two babies born days apart be so different?

Of course, in the back of my child development-trained mind, I knew the answer: temperament.

But what of these two babies futures? Parents often wonder if baby temperament has long-term effects on the course of their child’s development.

Research on Baby Temperament

If you’ve been a parent for more than a few months, you know that a baby’s temperament is evident fairly early on. Although they are not talking yet, infants have a way of letting you know their preferences in regards to holding positions, movements, and the amount of stimulation they can handle.

Similarly, if you have more than one child, you also realize how dramatically babies’ temperaments can vary from child to child.

In the research world, this recognition that baby temperament is a key factor in development is evident in the sheer amount of research that includes temperament as a component of interest. Through the years, a variety of questionnaires and observational techniques have been used to assess baby temperament. In general, however, all these tools assess many of the same basic characteristics of temperament that were first developed by researchers Thomas and Chess in the 1960s. These characteristics include:

• activity level—energy level of the child
•  approach-withdrawl—how child initial responds to a new setting
• mood—child’s general tendency to be happy or unhappy
• rhythmicity—how regular are the child’s physical/biological patterns (e.g., eating, sleeping)
• persistence—child’s ability to stay with a difficult task
• attention span—child’s ability to focus on one task for a length of time
• adaptability—child’s ability to adjust to changes in routine
• threshold—child’s ability to handle external stimuli (e.g., loud noises)
• intensity—child’s tendency to emotionally react strongly or less strongly to events
• distractibility—the degree to which a child is easily distracted from a task or activity

Based on these dimensions, Thomas and Chess characterized children into one of three categories of temperament: “difficult,” “easy,” and “slow to warm up.”

In their study, 65% of children could be classified into one of these categories, so another category of “unable to classify” was created for the remaining 35%. Thomas and Chess found that in their initial study:

40% of the children fell into the “easy” category,
10% into the “difficult” category and
15% into the “slow to warm up” category.

Later, these researchers stated that these classifications should be considered less as discrete categories but more of a continuum along which children fell. So a child is typically not clearly “difficult” or clearly “easy” but somewhere along the continuum from “difficult” to “easy.”

Want to learn more about children’s temperament? Check out this new toolkit for parents!

Over the years, the labels and assessments have changed, but the idea is the same. By the way, I generally don’t like to label babies as “easy” or “difficult” but these are the traditional temperamental categories. Just know that these aren’t meant as a commentary on the baby’s quality as a human, but just a temperamental label.

Looking at these characteristics, can you determine the type of temperament your child would probably be categorized into? Want to find out more?

Take the short Temperament Quiz to discover more about your child.

Related reading: The Art and Science of Raising a Sensitive Boy (without crushing his spirit)

How Do “Difficult” Babies Turn Out?

This is the question that parents most commonly ask: how do “difficult” babies turn out as children and adults? Of course, this is a complicated question because so many factors affect development besides just temperament. However, we have some really compelling research coming out that does shed some light on this question.

Just a note here about the research I present here: this is just a snapshot of a huge body of research on temperament. Each of these studies, while compelling, does not provide the complete picture. That being said, the fact that these 3 studies all end up with similar findings, only adds to their credibility.

 Toddlerhood

For example, one study looked at children from birth to age two and tried to understand how their temperament combined with different parenting approaches influenced their behavior. What they found was fascinating. Babies who were more irritable as infants were just as likely to be sociable and outgoing as toddlers, given one important factor: the quality of attachment with their mothers.

In other words, if those irritable infants had a secure attachment with their mother (or primary caregiver), they went on to be well-adjusted, sociable toddlers. However, those irritable infants who did not have a secure attachment with their mother, they struggled more in interacting with people and new environments as they grew up.

Why would attachment matter? It seems that for babies with an irritable temperament, they have trouble regulating and may get overstimulated easily. Therefore, in the context of secure attachment, their mother helps them regulate their emotions and reactions so they are able to explore more over time. In the absence of a secure attachment, these irritable infants continue to struggle with regulation even as toddlers.

Related reading: A Parent’s Guide to Understanding the 4 Attachment Styles

Early Childhood

The next fascinating study on this topic looked at children’s temperament and their behavior in first grade. Similar to what we saw in the previous study, children with a “difficult” temperament as babies, were just as likely to be well-adjusted in first grade if one important factor was in place: positive, sensitive parenting.

As the study’s author commented, “The key to first-grade adjustment for both difficult and easy infants was good parenting,” said Anne Dopkins Stright, associate professor of human development at Indiana University.

So what does “good parenting” look like in this situation (or any situation)? Well, as the aspects of positive parenting that you might expect: being sensitive to the child’s needs, having positive regard for the child, providing emotional support, and supporting their autonomy. All the aspects of parenting that we commonly discuss here and most child development books support.

Again the reason for these findings comes back to the nature of what it means to have a baby with a “difficult” temperament. These babies are usually more sensitive and reactive to their environment and thus tend to cry more. With support and sensitivity from parents, however, these babies grow to learn to self-regulate just as well as other babies.

On the flipside, however, babies with a “difficult” temperament who grow up in a setting where the parenting is not sensitive to their needs, they tend to fair worse in first grade. Parents really do act as the support and buffer for irritable babies and in absence of that, these children have a more difficult time adjusting.

Teen Years

Lastly, let’s look at how babies with a “difficult” temperament may fair as teenagers. One really impressive study followed children from the age of 4 months all the way into the teen years.

Again, we see a similar pattern of findings. Infants with an inhibited temperament (i.e., fear of unfamiliar situations or social withdrawal) were more at risk for anxiety problems as a teen. However, one of the most protective factors for these children was…you guessed it–a secure attachment with their caregiver. Toddlers with an inhibited temperament were less likely to develop anxiety if they had a secure attachment with their mother (or primary caregiver).

How To Help Babies Thrive

All this research points to one clear idea: parents matter (a lot). If you have a”difficult” baby who cries a lot and is sensitive to his/her surroundings, it is challenging. I have been there and seen that with both of my boys. Babies with a “difficult” temperament test our patience, our stamina and often push us to our limits.

But guess what? All your effort in supporting them and being sensitive to their needs really does reap wonderful rewards as they develop. These babies are not only more sensitive to the negative aspects of their world, but they are also more sensitive to all the wonderful things you provide as well. This research clearly points out that the sensitive, responsive parenting that you offer will help them grow into well-adjusted adults.

Two Temperaments, Two Stories

Remember those two babies born only days apart? Well, the other mom and I stayed in touch throughout the year. Our “big boys” and “little boys” had a few playdates together and had a lot of fun together. My younger son continued with his curious, mischievous temperament and explored every room in their house during each play date. I remember watching the other mom as she jogged with her son (then about 18 months old) in a stroller for miles at a time. I, on the other hand, struggled to get my son to sit still in a stroller for a quarter of a mile.

This is the story of children’s temperament. Each child has their own strengths and it’s our role as parents to find those strengths. As author Susan Cain says,

“Everyone shines, given the right lighting.”

As parents, one important privilege we have is helping our children find the ways that they shine and guide them to find the “right lighting” in their world. My son may never be good at sitting still and he will probably never be passively obedient. But he’s fearless, confident, clever and yes, still a bit mischievous.

If your baby has a “difficult” temperament and you find yourself secretly longing for an “easy” baby, just know that you will find your child’s strengths. If you look beyond the fussiness and patiently wait for development to take its course, you will see the unique person he or she is meant to be.

Chime in! Has your child’s temperament remained fairly constant since infancy? Share in the comments.

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Helpful Resources:

A must-read if you have a spirited child (i.e., strong-willed, persistent, super-active) 

My NEW temperament toolkit (includes a book, quiz, audio training and more). Based on research and my personal experience with “spirited” kids.

 Another classic in the child development world–highly recommended!

The go-to author if you have a sensitive child–great insights! 

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