Have you ever wondered what planet a child in your family or sphere of influence was from? I’ll admit it, I did. For years I wondered where in the universe my youngest son came from. He had such different traits from his father, his brother, and me. When I started studying personalities I saw him for who he was . . . he was a little exuberant sanguine.
Did you know it is possible to identify a child’s personality as early as when they are in diapers? Seriously, it’s true! I would not have believed it had I not seen it. The best part of determining a child’s personality is the ability to start early in life meeting that individuals’ emotional needs and bringing out the best of who they naturally are.
In the Beginning
Sanguine babies tend to be high maintenance. They are not bad babies; they just tend to be one of the more active temperaments. My youngest son exhibited many signs shortly after he was born. I didn’t know how to read them back then, but looking back, I have a better understanding of his early years. He was very curious and hard to feed at times. He wanted to know what was going on all around him. He also hated being in his car seat. As a sanguine, he was filled with wiggles and giggles and did NOT like having to sit in the same time. It was our cross-town trips to K-Mart that introduced me to his ability to be loud. He was a typical sanguine even though I did not know it.
I have an acquaintance that has a very sanguine daughter. One of the first times I saw this little girl she was at a fast food restaurant nestled in a baby carrier atop a table. This little baby literally batted her eyelashes at me. She displayed the typical engaging and fun traits of the sanguine personality. I saw the mother at the grocery store the other day and found out that this little girl is now in seventh grade and loving fun activities like drama and choir.
Preschool Antics
When my son was entered into preschool, he was everyone’s favorite . . . most of the time. He never wanted for energy or friends. However, when he was in the two-year-old preschool class he met a new friend – or should I say “partner in crime”. They were both so cute, but they certainly could be little rascals. Not unusual for a sanguine child full of creative curiosity.
Sanguine preschoolers are also all about fun. We signed our son up for tee-ball when he was three years old. Unbeknownst to us, his little “partner-in crime” friend ended up on the same team much to both sets of parents dismay. (These two rascally boys had already established their ornery reputations when they were together). When the game got boring they would dig holes in the pitcher’s mound. When I told the coach that we thought that we should not take our little slugger to games because he was so destructive, the coach insisted we bring him because he was such a fun kid. Typical sanguine.
One particular tee-ball game, the two little rebels decided to bounce from the pitcher’s mound and trade it for a fun, freestyle run in the outfield. When the other boy’s daddy went to corral them the outfield action became the center of attention since all eyes were on THAT instead of the game. Sanguine children have an uncanny way of stealing the spotlight.
Strategies for Sanguine Preschoolers
- Understand that they are very affectionate and be sure to give them plenty of hugs.
- Don’t squish their natural inclination to grab the spotlight, but teach them the appropriate way to manifest that sanguine need.
- Give them plenty of attention, but do not allow them the think the world revolves around them unless you want to risk dealing with a spoiled teen when they get older.
- Be aware that they are little charmers and will learn to manipulate others unless they are taught to appropriately harness their engaging nature.
- If you are a melancholy or choleric parent, understand that this sanguine little person may not be as driven or proper as you. Within proper boundaries, allow them to be who they were made to be.
Sanguine preschoolers are a delightful handful. If you understand this sometimes wild personality, you will also see how delightful these little people can be even on a challenging day. Trust me, there will be challenging days when these tools will help you understand what personality planet your child is from.
©2012 Shona Neff
originally published at www.shonaneff.com
