Temperament Tools

Reviews and Comments

Recommended by the Training, Intervention, Education and Services for Adoption unit at Mattel Children’s Hospital, UCLA, Temperament Tools has drawn such praise as:

“Knowledge of inborn temperaments can give parents a head start in understanding their child and each chapter offers strategies to help parents approach various situations.”

University of Toronto, Family Care Office

 

“Starting with the idea that all children are born with individual temperaments, Neville and Johnson, parenting educators in Oakland, California, build on the work of Dr. Stella Chess and Dr. Alexander Thomas, who identified nine temperament traits in Children. Parents are encouraged to identify their children’s temperament types based on descriptions for activity level, adaptability, approach to new things, frustration reaction, intensity of emotions, mood, regularity, and sensitivity. The remaining chapters describe various temperament types and give parents suggestions for how to deal with children who have them. Special attention is given to the “mesh” between the parent’s temperament and that of the child. This is a useful book for all parents and others who work closely with children. Highly recommended.”

Library Journal, Feb. 15, 1998

 

“The authors offer excellent descriptions of behavior types, and many good strategies for intervention.”

The Nurturing News, Fall, 2002

 

“A brilliant book which can help you identify and work with your child’s inborn temperament . . . This book is like a workbook—asking questions and offering easy to understand answers. No psychobabble here . . .”

The Montclarion, Sept. 5, 2003

 

“This remarkable, engaging book can save you and your children from years of tears. It can protect you from unnecessary frustration, struggle, anger, and sadness, and can help you and the children you love grow in understanding and self-esteem. . .Helen Neville and Diane Clark Johnson help readers assess children’s temperament traits, understand the interactions between children’s and parents’ patterns of behavior, and learn how to provide the loving structure and support that can prevent challenges from becoming catastrophes. . .They provide practical, detailed and accessible guidance for us . . .”

Herman M. Frankel, M.D., Portland OR

 

“Temperament Tools claims to give you the ability to ‘work with your child’s inborn traits.’ After having reread it, all I can say is, buy this book. It’s magically delicious. ‘Children really are different from birth,’ the introduction states. ‘Moreover, they remain different no matter how they are parented.’ Isn’t it nice to read an expert’s opinion saying that none of the screwy things your child does are necessarily your fault, or under your power to control?. . .Understanding that my little boys just are how they are, and are not trying to make my life difficult, has already made for more peaceful parenting on my part. So buy this book.”

A mother of three