Understanding Your Child's Temperament

by Beverly LaHaye

Family advocate Beverly LaHaye shows parents how an understanding of their child's personality type can help them teach, discipline, relate to, and encourage their children. The basic temperaments and their blends are addressed.

Genres: Parenting

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

wife of Tim LaHaye

Reviews

[Lindsey · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is an older book on parenting (my mom said she read it when I was a child) . . . I appreciate that it discusses differences in personality with children and how that influences the way you raise them. You cannot treat all children the exact same way. It just doesn't work. So we tailor our parenting to help with the strengths/weaknesses of each child. I also appreciate too that they emphasize the Holy Spirit changing a person's character to be a better version of their particular personality. Too often I hear the excuse of children "being a certain way" as a reason to act poorly. My job as a parent is to help my children strive to overcome their weaknesses. Both these emphases in the book are good. . . . Ironically, though, I think LaHaye overly emphasizes nurture without grappling with the sovereignty of God. She makes many statements such as "Make sure your child is saved by the time he/she is 13 years old because it's almost impossible after that." Where does the grace of God fit into that picture of parenting? So in practice it would be easy to skip over the Holy Spirit changing your child part and be overly anxious and controlling of children rather than careful, prayerful parenting, which ultimately DOES rely on the Holy Spirit to change the child. So it's like she had the right idea, but wasn't sure how to work it out in the practical nitty gritty advice she wanted to give. And she gives LOTS of nitty gritty advice. I think sticking to principles and not getting lost in the details would have made this much more helpful overall.

[Felisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent insight into the inner workings and personality. Recommend highly for parents who are looking for additional insight into their child's behavior and characteristics.

[Eliza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding resource!