You will never hear an argument about raising children is one of the most important jobs a parent has. Growing the little humans goes far beyond the proper feeding, dressing and teaching practical safety experience. All parents try to raise children with good manners, to do well in school and extracurricular activities, and how to land successful careers as grown-ups. As we are getting drawn into behavior, there is one tool that is very beneficial in your parenting arsenal. Understanding DISC personalities and behaviors helps every parent and child with behavioral and emotional upraising.
Have in mind that until the age of 12 or so, most children show character traits of each of the four main DISC personality styles, and sometimes will even switch between them to explore and expand their comfort zone. This is perfectly normal and expected, as it is also part of children emotional maturation and development. For children younger than 12 years old, you can establish their personality with the Children’s DISC Report. For older children, use the StudentKeys: DISC Personality Style. No matter your child’s exact age, you as a parent may want to try to plant and develop within your child some of the major strengths of the main personalities. Here are some of the DISC personality lessons you can teach your children.
My mom (and she’s such a D!) always says that setting goals is just the first step. The most important part is following through and actually achieving your goals. Achievers are winners, and adopting determination from the D Personality will give your child the sense of confidence they need to conquer the world. In addition, determination is linked to developing decision-making and problem-solving skills, which will give any person a competitive edge long before entering the labor market. These skills are equally valued and needed during school years so your success of adopting and developing D-style strengths will give you and your child a competitive edge.
Helping your child set and achieve their goals is part of the equation for success. Sometimes, however, the solutions for their small and big victories will be far from the established roads. This is where developing creativity will definitely help. This is a trait belonging to the I Personality Style and it goes along with a positive outlook, sense of humor and enthusiasm. All these traits will help your child chase their dreams and goals, not only with the determination of the D Style, but with a passion that only optimism can provide. Adopting some of the strengths of the I Style will also help your child make friends easier.
Children are naturally loyal to their parents and siblings. Loyalty belongs to the S Personality Style and in life, loyalty goes far beyond family. Over the course of their years, children develop attachments to friends, ideas, dreams, and later on – companies. Loyalty doesn’t come only in the firm belief to be faithful to what or who you care for and support. Loyalty is also the ability to stand up and defend your principles, be consistent in your behavior and acts, and showing empathy to the world around you. Loyalty can also be viewed as a resistance to change, so make sure to teach your children that some change can be good and how to adapt when it does come their way.
The C Personality Style is the “anchor of reality” among the DISC styles, and a healthy dose of realism will help your child to achieve balance between games and chores. The thoughtfulness that comes along with this balance will support the development of skills for making plans, being responsible and sticking to the rules. The ability to “reality check” your children will teach them to be precise and accurate, and always consider that there is more than one option to base their decisions on. The great news for all parents is that amongst C Style strengths are high standards of quality. Developing the C side of your children’s personality will definitely help them both in school as well as later on in life.
What other personality traits you would want to teach your children about? Let us know in the comments below.