Personality Development for the Child

By Peace Oreofe Odunfa, Arish Group of Schools.

Every child has a unique personality that’s innate, that makes someone who they are. Personality is the individual differences in characteristics pattern in a way people tend to think, feel and behave. Personality of a person is the total combination of emotions (how they react towards people and situation), knowledge (how sound and brilliant they are), morality (how they talk to people) and dressing (what they wear: there’s a saying ‘dress the way you want to be addressed’).

The environmental factors influencing the child in developing positive personality traits and shaping personality are:

#1. Home.

The home plays a major role in shaping personality which includes the parents/guardians and the siblings. The parents/guardians are role models to the child, so whatever attitude the parents/ guardians and siblings exhibit towards getting things done, the child tend to imitate the same behaviour therefore forming personality. A child who is always criticised or severely punished or shown no love while growing up may be vindictive and may not know how to show affection to people. Parents always fighting each other or any form of aggressive behaviour of the parents might be learnt by the child.

#2. School

The school influences the child in developing positive personality traits by punishing and correcting wrong and negative doings and, rewarding and encouraging positive and right doings. Teachers fighting and using abusive languages on each other along the corridors of a school makes the child not to see any wrong in fighting in the public place. 

#3. Peer groups

This is a very important factor in a child’s personality growth. Friends who have similar interests, age, background, or social status, serve as an important source of information, feedback, and support to individuals as they develop and grow. Wrong companions corrupt good morals. There is a code of conduct acceptable among peer groups and any child not up to task will have to leave the group. Since it is perceived to be shameful to leave the group, the child conforms even to socially unacceptable behaviour at times. Parents should try to know the personality and behaviours of the friends their children keep for these obvious reasons. Alcoholism and smoking are habits learned among peer groups of adolescents and teenagers.

#4. Culture of the society.

Culture is one of the most important environmental factor that helps and shaping personality. The do’s and don’t of a particular culture helps in teaching the child morals and ethics.

#5. Genetics

Genetics influences the child in shaping personality. Traits gotten from the father and mother are naturally inborn with that of the child.

There are different types of personality traits which are majorly called the Big five, they are:

#1.  Neuroticism/emotional stability: 

The characteristics of a neurotic person is being anxious, worrying about every little thing, always feeling inadequate and emotional. While the characteristics of the latter is always being calm and unemotional, not getting irritated by small annoyances, being secure and self-satisfied.

#2. Extraversion/Introversion:

The characteristics of an extrovert is being the life of the party, active, optimistic, fun-loving and being affectionate while the characteristics of the latter prefers a quiet evening reading to a loud party, unenthusiastic, always sober and aloof. 

#3. Conscientiousness/lackadaisical. 

The characteristics of a person that always conscientious is self-discipline, neat, hard-working, persevering, punctual and organised while the characteristics of the latter prefers spur-of-the-moment action to planning, is unreliable, hedonistic, careless, lax and has an I don’t care attitude.

#4. Agreeableness/antagonism.

The characteristics of an agreeable person is being forgiving, helpful, good natured and agreeing with others about opinions while the characteristics of the latter is being irritable, manipulative, rude and uncooperative. People tend to chose the agreeable personality to lead them. The antagonistic personality is usually suspicious and perceived to be vicious. 

#5. Openness to experience/secretive

The characteristics of an open person enjoy seeing people in new appearances, always curious, imaginative and untraditional while characteristics of the latter prefers not to be exposed to alternative moral system, artistic, not analytical, has narrow interest, always down to earth. 

Personality are traits that someone exhibits consistently at different times and different situations. Having a good personality means being likeable, approachable, interesting and pleasant to be with. Even though they say ‘old habits die hard’, the fact still remains that personality of a person might actually influence another personality especially if the personality in question is a desirable one and is appealing to the other who desires such.

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