Speaking Your Child's Personality Language

Image by cobalt123 via FlickrRecently, I was talking with a kindergarten teacher who told me a child came into her class that morning announcing proudly that she would be attending pajama class after school. Being a pro at deciphering children's language, she quickly realized the student was talking about going to drama class after school...

Speaking a child's language is helpful in parenting as well.  In the previous posts, I've been talking about New Year's Resolutions and setting goals.  If you want to help your child set goals that motivate them, it helps if you speak their personality language.  For instance, if you have a D wired child, then you would want to help them chose a goal that is very specific and has a deadline.  D personalities are highly motivated and competitive, so setting a goal to give their energy some direction will be very successful.  I wired children are great starters but not such great finishers.  They also thrive on social interaction and recognition, so setting a goal that involves a social network to support and encourage them to achieve it would be best.  Add in an element of fun and the I wired child will be hooked.  S wired children are great finishers but have difficulty starting tasks.  They are very tuned in to the needs of others and will work to accomplish a goal as much to please you as to please themselves.  Select a goal that they can commit to with your support or the support of a close friend to motivate them to get going. Finally, C wired children love to develop and research a goal.  If they are committed, they will work hard to accomplish the task.  Help them see the big picture so that they don't get lost in the details and you will have a winning combination. Learning to set and accomplish goals is an important skill to learn and by speaking your child's personality language, you can ensure that they are successful.