Personality Differences and Temperment
Because each child is a unique human being in terms of the way he or
she thinks and acts, parents often wonder whether these differences should
affect their parenting. According to Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo, "Personality
differences and temperaments affect parenting in that they help parents
identify areas which require special effort to raise children up to the
same standard of moral training.
"However, the standards of training and the goals do not change with
personality differences. Temperament differences are not an acceptable
excuse for sin . . . The training of children should be characterized
by the same standard of moral excellence regardless of their personality,
temperament, or gender" (Let the Children Come Along the Virtuous
Way, Leader's Guide, pp. 47-48).
One of the ways people differ is in how we express and receive love.
Gary Chapman, in his Five Love Languages book series, describes
these ways as (1) encouraging words, (2) acts of service, (3) gift giving,
(4) quality time and (5) physical touch and closeness. Although all of
these forms should be used, parents can most effectively love their child
by identifying and using his or her primary love language.
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