Here’s an interesting thing we read from the Baby Whisperer.

From the first few days of life, you can see clues as to what type of baby you have. The types are:

1) Angel
2) Textbook
3) Touchy
4) Spirited
5) Grouchy

The labels are pretty descriptive, so I won’t go into detail as to what they mean.

As with most personality tests, the categories are not mutually exclusive. There are 20 multiple choice questions that are answered by both parents to generate a raw score for each category.

E and I both answered the questions, and came out with very similar results so at least we both agree what e is like.

Drumroll… apparently we have a mostly Textbook baby, with some Spirited Angelic qualities thrown in. So she’s fairly predictable- we can calm her down as long as we figure out what it is she needs, and she’s pretty good natured. Loud noises, new environments, and strangers don’t really startle her.

So here’s the interesting thing. The author states that these traits are evident later on in life, even well into adolescence and beyond. So can your baby personality be a strong predictor to what you are likely to be later in life?

My little experiment was to ask my mum to read the 5 descriptions, and apply them to myself and Vennie. Mum described Vennie as being an “Angel” while I was a “Touchy” baby. Sigh, still to this day my Sister still have my parents completely swindled…

Ok, so the book says that an Angel baby has an easy going disposition and easily adapts to structure. Is this my sister today? I’ll let those who know her decide that, however my Mum now says the roles have reversed. As Adults, she’s the touchy one while I’m now the Angel. :->

As for Touchy babies, they need a structured, predictable routine. Hmm, I will admit that I work best when my day is structured, and I would say my sister is better at adapting to change.

This isn’t to say that I must have tri-color pasta with meat sauce every Wednesday at 6:25pm, but I think this is an interesting spin on the Nature vs Nurture discussion. The book’s view is that a lot of our personality is due to our environment and upbringing, but there seems to be a base portion of our behaviour that is set in our genes.

I’m sure this will generate a lot of discussion among parents, especially those who have (supposedly) finished raising their kids. 🙂