It’s that holiday time of year when things get a bit hectic. So let me ask you… are you taking care of yourself?

Several years ago I developed and presented a workshop to Childcare Providers in Ramsey County, MN. It was titled, Managing Children’s Behavior Based on Temperament. I was amazed at the things I learned about myself while I was researching this topic. And how much it has helped me learn to manage myself!

You see… temperament is our preferred style of responding and we’re born with this preference… doesn’t mean it has to dictate how we live our life… yet is IS the foundation we each have to work with. After working for five years in a newborn nursery, spending many, many hours with brand new babies, I can tell you with certainty… yes, we are born with certain, quite specific temperamental traits. And taking this into consideration can really help you know how to take better care of yourself to avoid those meltdowns (inner or outer) that might be occurring during this sometimes stressful time of year. (I’ll post later about how you can get familiar with your child’s temperament so you can better guide them to preferred behavior… today is about you.) Continue reading →