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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Do your DC still have recognisably the same personalities they had as babies?

30 replies

DrowningInChocolateEggs · 03/04/2009 22:07

Ds is 10 months and I was talking to other mums with DC the same age today about how much they all have very definite personalities these days (all the babies were at the sleep, eat, cry stage when we first met). I was wondering if people found their children grew up to be similar to how they were as babies.

If you had a shy/ timid/ boisterous/ inquisitive/ fearless/ laid-back/ whatever else baby did they stay that way as they grew up or did they go through a lot of different phases?

I haven't got any real purpose in asking - just curious

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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Pawslikepaddington · 03/04/2009 22:09

I had a [ahem] demanding baby, and have a polite, respectful, yet stubborn and demanding 5 y/o, so it is still there, but other bits have evolved over time.

Shitemum · 03/04/2009 22:11

DD1 has been the same since before she was even born - never kicked me in the womb just squirmed gently. Always been a 'grown up' girl even when tiny.
DD2 is very different from how she was as a baby. Much livelier and naughtier now at 2.6 yo. Sometimes I can't see her as being the same person iyswim. As if the baby her was someone else altogether.

randomrabbit · 03/04/2009 22:13

I had a stubborn feisty opinionated pain in the arse ds as a toddler ...still much the same at 16 {bgrin]

randomrabbit · 03/04/2009 22:14

thats the one tut

MmeLindt · 03/04/2009 22:14

DD at 10 months was cheery, determined and fun. She still is, but she is more shy than she used to be. She is just as adventurous as she was as a baby. She is almost 7yo.

DS is exactly the same, if he was any more laid back he would be horizontal. He has always been so. He is more self confident than DD and is very comfortable in his own skin, iykwim. He has always been quite contained. He is 4.5yo. Oh, and he is as stubborn as a mule, just as he was as a baby.

I do think that the basic personalities are there when they are babies, they get refined as they get older.

Meglet · 03/04/2009 22:17

Ds was a very grumpy, demanding baby, we didn't have a good day until he was 7 months, but he is turning into a lovely toddler.

callmeovercautious · 03/04/2009 22:18

DD was a trial to concieve, a trial to carry for exactly 40 weeks and a demanding and picky baby (ie wanted everything exactly right). Right down to a preference for nappy brand

She is 2.5 now and is still the same. If you dare to put the milk in the juice cup all hell breaks loose

She is her fathers daughter He is an engineer with a serious case of pickyness.

HecAteTheEasterBunny · 03/04/2009 22:18

in some ways, but in others they are totally different.

SazzlesA · 03/04/2009 22:19

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FluffyBunnyGoneBad · 03/04/2009 22:20

Yes, he's still the smilie, happy person he was at 2 weeks. He's still got the fun/silly streak he had when he was 8 months old. He's 9 now, 10 next week. He's not changed alot.

Stinkyfeet · 03/04/2009 22:20

Mine are still quite young, but yes! Ds1 (6 in a couple of weeks) has always been generally compliant and a bit sensitive.

Ds2 (3), has been a stubborn, feisty little thing since birth!

strawberrycornetto · 03/04/2009 22:21

My DD was a chilled out baby who really played with toys. She is now a bit lazy and very clever, so I would sat her personality was very much there from the start. She's also always been kind of charismatic. Its hard to explain how a baby can be charismatic but she was. Something about the way she interacts with adults and draws them in. She is just the same now at nearly 5.

DS is 13 months and I wait to see. He's generally a very smiley happy person, I can't see that changing. But he is massively determined and strong willed, far more so than DD. I think he will be like that forever which is both wonderful and scary

GrimmaTheNome · 03/04/2009 22:22

DDs headmaster commented in passing to DH that she had a wicked sense of humour. It was apparent even at 3 months old IIRC - 10 years ago.

JuxaLOTmoreChocolate · 03/04/2009 22:22

DD always knew exactly what she wanted and still does.

piscesmoon · 03/04/2009 22:24

Mine are recognisable from day 1.

AbricotsSecs · 03/04/2009 22:26

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edam · 03/04/2009 22:27

Interesting question. Difficult to know how accurate you can be about it, as a mother - wouldn't how I feel about ds now influence what I remember of his baby 'personality'?

Maybe that's why I think ds is still fundamentally the same character - cheerful, cheeky and with a marked propensity for running rings round me. When he was tiny, if I laid him on his play mat and turned my back, he'd wriggle off. When I turned back, he'd be a good foot away. But if I watched him, no progress at all!

Original poster

DrowningInChocolateEggs · 03/04/2009 22:35

I shouldn't have started this so late in the day because the responses are really interesting, must go to bed as DS is currently quite a mornings person (I'm sure that won't carry on into teenagerhood!).

OP posts:

randomrabbit · 03/04/2009 22:37

No the sleeping habits definitely change ..ds never stayed in bed till 2 in the afternoon as a baby

Desiderata · 03/04/2009 22:41

I think the baby stage is too early to assess.

You need to be looking at 2 or even 3+

I've got four step-children, and one natural son. With the step-children, I would say that by the time they were seven, their personalities were locked.

One was trouble, still is.
One was studious and quiet, is now a qualified doctor.
One was fun and goofy .. still is.
The other was a bit of all of the rest, and still is.

My son was a perfect baby. Never cried, slept through, no trouble at all. At four, he's a pain in the arse .. a beautiful, wonderful pain in the arse, but a pain nonetheless.

When he's seven, I shall know the man he will be. Four is a bad age for assessments. Babyhood, even worse.

eastereggfeaster · 03/04/2009 23:16

Ds was a really difficult little chap from about 6 to 18 months - he used to get so frustrated and cried a lot. Always felt like he was the one crying. He's now nearly 4 and is very sweet-natured and laid-back - several people who have only known him in the last year have said this. I'm really hoping this is his true personality!!

Sometimes they can grow out of certain problems - ds, in retrospect, was really frustrated that he couldn't communicate with us. Nephew was really challenging up until 3 and is now a sweet little chap so has changed a lot too.

PussinJimmyChoos · 03/04/2009 23:21

I like that 'I shall know the man he will be'...aww

christywhisty · 03/04/2009 23:35

DS was always fiercely independent as a baby and probably a tad frustrated. From the moment he was capably of doing anything he always wanted to do it himself and was into everything. At 13 that is no longer a problem and seems so much happier in his skin IFYSWM. He is fairly quiet academic type who is very mature for his age.

DD was the easiest baby going. Good sleeper, smiley and a bit of minx into everything and a terrible flirt. She would never sit on your lap to read a book if she could be down on the floor doing something.

At 11 her teacher still describes her as a minx. She is bright happy with lots of friends. She has a fairly stubborn independent streak, which can make her a bit difficult at home but she is an angel at school.

dreamteamgirl · 03/04/2009 23:40

DS (now 4.2) was an awful baby, whiney whingy grumpy

Then he learned to walk and has been an absolute treat ever since.

I dont know if it because we are more used to it if we have a errrr 'demanding' baby, but a lot of friends have said
hellish baby --> great toddler,
perfect baby --> hellish toddler

He has always been massively sociable and still is - I hope that survives his induction to school

bedlambeast · 04/04/2009 09:35

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