Child Temperament: Parenting a "High Regularity" Kid
Does your kid wake up the same exact time every day? Can you set your watch by his bathroom schedule? Does he freak out if dinner isn't on the table exactly at 5 PM every night? If you answered yes to all of the above, chances are you have a high-regularity child.
But don't worry—it's not a bad thing. It's actually quite great! All kids thrive on routine, but your kid really loves to know what to expect. As long as you stick to a predictable schedule, everything will be fabulous!
Here are some tips for parenting with a child with "high regularity" personality traits:
- Be sensitive: It may seem ridiculous to you that your kid needs to wear a yellow shirt every Tuesday, but it's important to him and it's part of his temperament, so make sure that shirt is out of the laundry!
- Be prepared: If you know your kid will be missing dinner at his usual time, be sure to have a snack handy to prevent a meltdown.
- Communicate: Tell your kid in advance if you know his day won't go as planned. Try to prepare him for any changes and give him an idea about what to expect. For instance, if it's a school holiday, get him mentally prepared for some other scheduled activity.
- Be patient: For the most part, high-regularity kids are pretty easy to parent since you know what to expect from them. But on those "off" days when things don't go as planned, try to cut your kid some slack. And reassure him that his regular schedule will be back to normal ... tomorrow.
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