The Importance of Temperament
Julie just turned 16. She almost always seems happy and energetic. She participates in community theater, plays varsity basketball, is quick to volunteer for school projects, and manages to maintain a B average. She has lots of friends and seems to genuinely enjoy life. Her brother, Dylan, is 14 and about to finish middle school. Although his parents believe that Dylan is as capable as his sister, they are concerned because he seldom participates in school and community activities. Dylan usually comes straight home after school, watches TV and spends more time on his computer than his parents would like. Although Dylan maintains better grades than his sister and has a penchant for classical literature, his parents can't understand what they interpret as Dylan's complacency. His parents are glad Dylan has one good friend, but often find themselves pushing him to get more involved, a scenario that usually ends in an argument.
How can two kids growing up in the same family and only 1 1/2 years apart in age be so different? Is it just a difference of gender? Or is it more than that? What lies at the heart of the different ways Julie and Dylan see and react to the world is their fundamentally different temperaments.
