Diagnosing Your Family's Change Quotient
So, while thinking about your family and change this fall, what is new and different?  Metaphorically speaking, how did your sink area change? What "feels" different? What looks different? Is the family struggling to embrace "now," rather than cling to the past?  Who or what is in a new place? What is hard to get used to? Is there something you would like to "turn the page on?" Any old habits to modify, change?  And, how does your child fit in to fall changes -"piece of cake" or "daily challenge?"  Somewhere in-between?
 
THE INFLUENCE OF TEMPERAMENT
A way to think about reactions to everyday events is encompassed in the temperament research begun in the 1950s.  Researchers studied personality traits and identified
nine characteristics which describe a person's natural style of responding emotionally to objects, events, and people. Listed below is a thumbnail sketch of three of these characteristics/qualities which can impact change.  The other six also have impact, but today's discussion is about adaptability, intensity, and persistence.
                                           

• ADAPTABILITY
  The first quality is APAPTABILITY or how a child reacts to new situations.  The question for understanding a child's adaptability is:  Does the child adjust to changes easily and/or recover quickly OR does the child adjust with difficulty, sometimes resisting change for a long period of time? The answers to these questions can unlock questions about perceived stubbornness, the same situation repeated in different venues, and tears.  
   
• INTENSITY
  Another personality trait that affects change is INTENSITY.  The question for this temperament trait is:  Does the child have a strong reaction (negative or positive) to someone or something OR does the child have a calm, mild reaction?  Do you have an easy-going child? Do you have a child who is happy, but not exuberant or expressive? A child who is sad, but not devastated?
   
  Maybe your child goes over the top and out-of-control when happy and excited.  When upset, does your child "roar" when crying or wallow in the pit of despair when distressed? The extremes on these emotions require adult help and teaching.
                                              
  
• PERSISTENCE
  One more trait influencing behaviors relating to change is PERSISTENCE. This quality is just what it sounds like: Does the child give up or keep trying?  This can refer to a child's ability to stick with something (like an activity) or wander away.  It also reveals how determined a child can be toward reaching a goal, despite frustrations along the way.

THE PARENT'S TEMPERAMENT TRAITS
The parents' temperament is also a very important part of the equation.  Parents who have an opposite temperament to the child will have challenges staying patient and redeeming the situation.  Parents with similar temperaments may have trouble moving the child to new learning and behaviors.  The whole temperament puzzle of a family can be very interesting to study and, thereby, untangle the complexities of daily grind.
 
So, when thinking about changes-- moving to a new house, embracing a new sibling, changing bedtimes, establishing a different morning schedule, starting a new class, feeling comfortable with a new teacher, finding new friends, embracing general changes in the family, owning a pet, sleeping in a new bed, changing time, etc. -- it's important to acknowledge the role of temperament of all the people involved.