personality

&
temperament
guide

how to lean into your baby's personality to

guide your daily routine - from playtime to
bedtime and everything in between
 welcome!
Knowing your baby's personality and
temperament is key to supporting
your little one and connecting more
deeply with your child.

Just like adults, all babies are different.
And all infants have unique personality
types.
But unlike adults who can communicate
more easily, it can be hard for us to
understand our baby's unique personality.
This guide is meant to help you better
understanding your baby's personality
and temperament.
Then we'll tie it all together to understand
how to take this information and use it to
best support your baby based on his/her
unique personality.
Before we dive in, it is important to first
note that every baby is different. And
although we'll discuss some general
personality traits in this guide - not all
babies fit into one specific category 100%
of the time.

We'll look at three main personality types
and several different temperaments and
how these can play into your play time
and sleep time routines with your baby.
In fact, many babies fit into several
categories, or don't perfectly fit into any
of them. And this can change and shift
depending on sleep, illness, schedule
changes, etc.

So read through this guide, jot down notes, and tune into your baby as you notice what
characteristics they are showing most often. But also know that this can change and shift and we
should always aim to adjust and adapt based on our baby's emotions and cues at that given time.

© PIECE OF CAKE PARENTING 2020, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

The information in this guide is adapted from information presented in the Baby Led Sleep Certification program
from Lauren Heffernan of Isla Grace and personal experiences working with and coaching families and their babies.
three main temperaments
- overview -
EASY OR FLEXIBLE

These babies are generally easygoing and are often happy,

content, and ready to go with the flow. They usually have normal
eating and sleeping habits and can easily adapt to changing
situations without becoming distressed. These babies usually
don't overreact and don't become upset easily.

SPIRITED, ACTIVE, OR FEISTY

These babies are often fussy, easily upset by noise, and have
intense reactions to situations. They are more irregular in their
eating or feeding habits and seem fearful around new people or in
new situations. These babies may sometimes also be highly
sensitive babies.

DEEP THINKER OR CAUTIOUS

These babies are typically withdrawn, shy, and react strongly to

new situations. They tend to be fussy and less active. But they can
become more comfortable and more secure with calm exposure
to situations they are uncomfortable with.

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three main temperaments
- how this impacts sleep -
EASY OR FLEXIBLE
These babies typically have the most regular sleeping habits. You can
typically adjust your schedule without causing sleep challenges. Since
these babies are often so laid back, it's important to build in intentional
1:1 time to connect with these babies. You may want to intentionally
play or cuddle before bedtime and after your baby wakes up, even if
he/she is not crying or fussing.

SPIRITED, ACTIVE, OR FEISTY

Because these babies have intense reactions to situations, they may
struggle with any changes to their sleep routine. Talk to your baby and
give warnings if there will be any changes. These babies often need
opportunities to burn off energy, so it's helpful to add playtime before
your bedtime routine. As your baby gets older, it's also helpful to add in
as much freedom of choice as possible.

DEEP THINKER OR CAUTIOUS

These babies can become uncomfortable and unsure of changes to

their routine. Try to maintain a consistent routine, keep your promises,
and give time to become comfortable and familiar with any changes to
their routine.

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three main temperaments
- how this impacts play -
EASY OR FLEXIBLE
Like sleep, these babies generally adapt easily to new activities and
outings, but watch for signs of fatigue. These babies are generally open to
attending new baby classes or meeting new friends and family without
needing as much time to adjust. These babies are also often content to
play independently. Try to add intentional playtime with your baby each
day, even if he/she is content to play independently.

SPIRITED, ACTIVE, OR FEISTY

These babies typically do not respond well to adding in lots of classes and
outings. Try to space these out and talk to your baby about what's going
on before attending these. Respond to their fears and allow them to
cuddle with you if they don't want to participate fully in these activities.
These babies can benefit from playtime that offers proprioceptive input,
like bear hugs, and need more freedom during their play routine.

DEEP THINKER OR CAUTIOUS

These babies tend to be less active. They may need more support with
their play routine, but also become overwhelmed with too many
structured activities or new outings. Maintain a routine as much as
possible and give your baby time to establish relationships. When
introducing new things, help your baby to feel safe and secure with these
changes and new scenarios.

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 QUICK NOTE

highly sensitive babies

BREAKING IT DOWN

Highly sensitive babies are easily bothered by stimulation to certain sensations.

This means they can become easily upset by certain sounds, textures,
temperature changes, light and darkness, etc. These babies are also very receptive
to their parents' mood and stress.

Highly sensitive people can become overwhelmed by sensory input (and this can
be minor or more significant). And when this happens, their body creates a
neurological panic response that signals them to fight, flight, or freeze.

These babies can be challenging for parents to understand, because they can
become easily upset by changes to these sensations, they often need a lot of
specific interaction with their caregivers, and when parents begin to feel tired or
frustrated, they pick up on this and internalize the same feelings.

It's particularly helpful to understand your baby's personality types and

preferences if he/she is highly sensitive because he/she is so sensitive to sensory
changes and does pick up so much on your own emotions and feelings.

Depending on how highly sensitive your child is, it can be helpful to get
additional support from an occupational therapist as well.

THOUGHTS & DOODLES:

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personality traits overview
ENERGY LEVEL

1 This determines how much your baby moves around and how
much physical stimulation your baby needs. Based on your baby's
energy, he/she may benefit from different types of activities and
stimulation throughout the day or being thoughtful about how
your play routine can impact your baby.

SENSITIVITY

2 This determines how sensitive your baby is to different sensations,

including lights, sounds, temperatures, and textures, as well as
how much they are affected by your emotions and feelings.
Understanding your baby's sensitivity level is particulary
important for highly sensitive babies.

INTENSITY

3 This determines how strongly your baby expresses emotions and

how long they stay upset after being triggered.

ADAPTABILITY

4
This determines how easily your baby is able to move from one
activity to the next and how easily they are able to adjust to
changes in their routine or environment, as well as how easily
they are able to adjust to meeting new people.

RHYTHMICITY

5
This determines how regular or irregular your baby's routine or
schedule is as well as how rigid or flexible your baby is when it
comes to schedule changes.

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 personality traits overview
PERSISTANCE

5 This determines how persistent your baby is when it comes to

learning new skills as well as whether they are easily discouraged
if they don't reach their goals immediately.

DISTRACTIBILITY

6 This determines how easily your baby is distracted and how

interruptions and things around them impact their eating,
sleeping, and play time routines.

MOOD

7 This determines your baby's general mood and if they are

generally calm and happy or if they are fussier or need more
comfort.

REACTION/ACCEPTANCE

8
This determines how much your baby is drawn to new people and
experiences as well as how they respond to or react to new
situations or people.

Use the next few pages to understand more about each of these personality traits and
how different ends of the spectrum for each trait can impact both play and sleep. But
remember, your baby may not show show every category for a specific trait. In fact,
he/she might fall somewhere in the middle the two extremes of any given trait. Also,
remember that your baby may shift preferences for any given category depending on
stress level, sleep, development, attachment, and so much more.

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 TEMPERAMENT

energy level

HIGH ENERGY
LOW ENERGY

These babies have lots of energy, during the day
and at night. These children are always on the go,
move all over the bed, and often struggle to stop
playing long enough to sleep.
For these babies, it's important to build a
consistent bedtime routine and naptime routine.
It's also beneficial to add in lots of physical and
mental stimulation throughout the day.
These babies benefit from intentional play time
before you begin your bedtime routine, especially
adding in rough and tumble and new play
experiences before bed.
These babies like to spend time sitting quietly and
are generally happy to sit and watch things
around them.
Babies with low energy typically do not need
specific sleep strategies.
However, because these babies are happy to sit
and watch things around them, they may need
more intentional efforts to engage in play time
and may need support and encouragement to
actively participate in activities.

THOUGHTS & DOODLES: (Which seems to best describe your baby? Any thoughts on things
you want to keep in mind with your baby?

STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3 STEP 4 STEP 5

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 TEMPERAMENT

sensitivity

HIGH SENSITIVITY
LOW SENSITIVITY

These babies are easily agitated, bothered by
lights, temperature changes, noises, or wet diapers.
They may also wake up when they're only slightly
hungry and can struggle to cut nursing sessions.
These babies are like emotional sponges for their
parents' emotions, need help to block out extra
stimuli, and seem to need the perfect sleep
environment and setting for play time.
These babies are not very sensitive to sensations,
like lights, noises, tags in clothes, temperature,
wet diapers, etc.
Babies with low sensitivity have minimal sleep
disruptions and are open to different types of play
without aversions to play time that incorporates
new sensations.

During bed and nap routines, try to remain as

calm as possible and take a break if you feel
overwhelmed. Offer extra cuddles before bed and
remove things that seem to add stress.

THOUGHTS & DOODLES: (Which seems to best describe your baby? Any thoughts on things
you want to keep in mind with your baby?

STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3 STEP 4 STEP 5

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 TEMPERAMENT
intensity
HIGH INTENSITY
These babies express each personality trait and
emotion very strongly. Once upset, they tend to
remain upset longer and be more difficult to
comfort and soothe.
When it comes to sleep, these babies look for a lot
of support at night and tend to be cat-nappers
during the day.
These babies can become more easily triggered
during play time and their emotions can swing
high and low throughout the day.
Provide lots of touch, slow down the pace of your
day. and allow extra time to unwind before bed.
THOUGHTS & DOODLES: (Which seems to best describe your baby? Any thoughts on things
you want to keep in mind with your baby?
STEP 1 STEP 2
© PIECE OF CAKE PARENTING
LOW INTENSITY
These babies don't express feelings and emotions
very strongly and are often referred to as even-
tempered.
Although these babies may not need as much
support for sleep or play time, it's helpful to
intentionally build in connection since your baby
may not signal these needs as often.
It can also be helpful to build emotional
intelligence and talk about feelings and emotions
frequently so your child becomes more
comfortable expressing emotions and is more
open to discussing these as he/she gets older.
STEP 3 STEP 4 STEP 5
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 TEMPERAMENT

adaptability

HIGH ADAPTABILITY LOW ADAPTABILITY

These babies are able to easily move from one
activity to the next. They can easily transition
from play time to bedtime and often fall asleep
easily after feeding.
These babies also respond well to changes in their
schedule or routine and are able to add in extra
activities or adjust their schedule without
upsetting sleep significantly.
These babies find changes very stressful and
typically do not like transitioning from one activity
to another. They find it difficult to stop playing to
transition to bedtime and can have more difficultly
falling back asleep after night wakings.
It's important to create a consistent routine and
pattern to your day so your baby knows what to
expect. Try to slow down the pace of your day and
avoid overscheduling structured activities or
classes.

Build in extra time for your evening playtime to

bedtime transition and the invest extra time to your
baby's bedtime routine.

THOUGHTS & DOODLES: (Which seems to best describe your baby? Any thoughts on things
you want to keep in mind with your baby?

STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3 STEP 4 STEP 5

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 TEMPERAMENT

rhythmicity

REGULAR IRREGULAR

These babies naturally eat, sleep, and wake at the These babies never fall asleep at the same time and
same times each day. They typically don't need a naps typically vary in length. These babies need
schedule because they create one themselves. more flexibility and find schedules stressful.

Changes to their routine or time changes can be Transitioning back to their routine after illness,
difficult because their internal clock is so strong teething, or schedule disruptions can be
and can fight adjustments to their daily routine. challenging.

Try to adjust slowly for any time changes and be Try to use light and darkness to signal to your baby
aware of jet lag and travel. when it's time to sleep. Focus less on a specific
schedule and more on creating a consistent routine
or pattern for your day.

THOUGHTS & DOODLES: (Which seems to best describe your baby? Any thoughts on things
you want to keep in mind with your baby?

STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3 STEP 4 STEP 5

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 TEMPERAMENT

persistence

HIGH PERSISTENCE LOW PERSISTENCE

These babies will practice a skill over and over
until they get it just right. These babies will have
more sleep struggles when learning new skills and
going through developmental leaps and can be
more difficult to distract when they are focused
on something.
These babies usually learn in increments and can
become frustrated and give up on their goal if they
don't accomplish their task immediately.
Try to introduce activities and play that promotes
mini-milestones in between bigger milestones.

Try to give your baby lots of time to practice new

skills. Your baby may also benefit from time in the
crib to practice these skills outside of nap times or
bed times.

Be patient with your baby and try to stick to your

routine.

THOUGHTS & DOODLES: (Which seems to best describe your baby? Any thoughts on things
you want to keep in mind with your baby?

STEP 6 STEP 7 STEP 8 STEP 9

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 TEMPERAMENT

distractibility

HIGH DISTRACTIBILITY LOW DISTRACTIBILITY

These babies are easily distracted by things These babies are generally not distracted by things
around them and can struggle to nurse, feed, or going around them.
sleep when other people or other stimuli are
around. Sounds, lights, and other stimuli typically do not
impact sleep or feeding sessions for these babies.
Try to eliminate distractions in your baby's sleep
environment. You may want to offer more
frequent feedings during the day to ensure baby is
eating enough during the day and doesn't need to
nurse as frequently overnight.

When responding to your baby overnight, try to

minimize stimulation as much as possible to
support an easier transition back to sleep.

THOUGHTS & DOODLES: (Which seems to best describe your baby? Any thoughts on things
you want to keep in mind with your baby?

STEP 6 STEP 7 STEP 8 STEP 9

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 TEMPERAMENT

mood

POSITIVE SERIOUS

These babies spend the majority of the time in a
good mood. They generally wake up happy and
remain positive throughout the day.
If your baby never cries, reflect to ensure that
your baby has the space to express emotions and
help to give words to emotions that your baby is
expressing.
These babies are more serious and often need more
comforting. They often spend more time crying
throughout the day and may be very serious and
very observant with new situations.
Try to offer slower transitions and give your baby
space to take in new situations. Your baby may
need more support with sleep changes or changes
to his/her playtime routine.

Intentionally provide calm connectedness during

the evening and share positive energy and
optimistic vibes with your baby.

THOUGHTS & DOODLES: (Which seems to best describe your baby? Any thoughts on things
you want to keep in mind with your baby?

STEP 6 STEP 7 STEP 8 STEP 9

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 TEMPERAMENT
reaction/acceptance
APPROACH
These babies are more drawn to new situations
and new people and love being in the action.
These babies really enjoy being out of the house,
can sleep anywhere, and love attending music
classes or other baby activities.
Provide opportunities for new activities, both
inside the house and in social settings when
possible.
These babies are generally the best sleepers and
respond well to minimal intervention around
sleep since they sleep well on their own.
THOUGHTS & DOODLES: (Which seems to best describe your baby? Any thoughts on things
you want to keep in mind with your baby?
STEP 6 STEP 7
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WITHDRAWAL
These babies often pull back when meeting new
people or encountering new situations. They can
become easily overwhelmed and benefit from
parents who can tune in and remove them from
experiences when they are overwhelmed.
These babies often struggle to sleep while traveling
and often don't engage and prefer to sit near parents
during structured baby classes.
Offer your baby slow transitions and make time for
1:1 connectedness in the evenings. Also respect your
baby's needs and avoid overstimulating or forcing
your baby into an environment that makes him/her
feel uncomfortable.
STEP 8 STEP 9
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 tying it all together

STEP 1:

Take some time going through this guide and reading each of the personality traits and
temperament types. Observe your baby for the next few days and jot down notes of the
things you notice. Circle the characteristics that best fit your baby and get a feel for the
strongest personality traits in your baby.

STEP 2:

Begin implementing some of the suggestions based on your baby's specific personality trait.
Take note of the changes that seem the most helpful for your baby and which parts or your
daily routine still need more adjustments.

STEP 3:

As you begin to make these changes, as your baby grows, and when your baby is going
through different developmental periods/illnesses/etc., go through the guide again to see if
you notice any shifts in your baby's personality. Readjust and make changes to your
approach as needed.

STEP 4:

Enjoy the time with your little one and be proud that you've spent the time truly getting to
you know baby and the different components of your baby's unique personality!

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