Infant Toddler Temperament Tool
Parent and baby connecting

Infant Toddler Temperament Tool (IT³)

Discover the perfect parenting match! This quick assessment helps you understand the "goodness of fit" between you and your little one (birth to 18 months). For each trait, select what describes you and your baby best, then get personalized recommendations for your unique parent-child combination.

The Infant Toddler Temperament Tool (IT3) was developed for the Center for Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation, an Innovation and Support Project funded by the Office of Head Start.

"It's all about the fit, not the match."

Understanding your temperament differences helps you adapt your parenting approach to support your child's natural way of experiencing the world.

0 of 9 traits completed
1

Activity Level

How much physical movement you typically engage in - from energetic and always on the go to preferring calmer, less active pursuits.

I am:

My infant is:

2

Distractibility

How easily your attention shifts from what you're doing - from highly focused to easily pulled away by new sights and sounds.

I am:

My infant is:

3

Intensity

How strongly you express emotions - from big, dramatic reactions to more subtle, measured responses.

I am:

My infant is:

Parent and baby bonding
4

Regularity

How predictable your natural rhythms are - from having consistent patterns for eating and sleeping to being more variable day-to-day.

I am:

My infant is:

5

Sensitivity

How you respond to sensory information - from being highly sensitive to lights, sounds, textures to barely noticing these things.

I am:

My infant is:

6

Approachability

How you initially respond to new situations - from jumping right in to preferring to observe first.

I am:

My infant is:

7

Adaptability

How easily you adjust to changes and transitions - from being flexible to preferring consistency.

I am:

My infant is:

8

Persistence

How long you stick with challenging activities - from highly persistent to preferring to move on when things get difficult.

I am:

My infant is:

9

Mood

Your general emotional outlook - from naturally upbeat and positive to more serious and thoughtful.

I am:

My infant is:

🎉 Your Parent-Child Temperament Profile

👤 Your Temperament Profile

👶 Your Baby's Temperament Profile

🎯 Personalized Parenting Strategies

Understanding "Goodness of Fit"

Each caregiver has their own unique temperament, just like each child. The compatibility between adult and child temperaments is called "goodness of fit." This doesn't mean your temperaments have to match perfectly! It's about understanding your differences and adapting your caregiving approach to support your child's natural tendencies.

By recognizing both your own and your child's temperament traits, you can make small adjustments that create big improvements in your daily interactions. The goal isn't to change who either of you are, but to find the strategies that work best for your unique parent-child relationship.