On a Saturday morning at my local pool, three one-year-old babies get ready for their weekly swim lesson, their mothers carefully outfitting them in colourful swimwear. One of them, a girl, smiles gleefully at the red ruffle resting below her chin. Another, a boy, escapes his mother’s hold and swiftly runs naked to the end of the locker room, shrieking with anticipation. The third, another boy, softly protests the entire ritual. His brow is set in a knot, despite his mother’s attempts to encourage his enthusiasm. In soothing motherese, she points out the smiling turtles and happy fish that form a little underwater parade on his swim trunks. But his assessment remains static, and his mood does not budge. Eventually, all three babies and their mothers wander out to the pool, towels and toys in tow. But it is not simply pool toys that differentiate these babies’ experience. Another variable is also in play, and it has been on full display as they get ready to swim. It’s what developmental scientists call temperament.

Read more...View Original