The Child Whisperer (26 page)

The Big Games!

My son-in-law, Tanner, is an entrepreneurial Type 3. He is also a big fan of a local university football team, and has been since he was 7 years old. In fact, he has never missed a home game since then!

As a 13-year-old teenager, he hosted away game parties at his home. True to his Type 3 go-big nature, his parties included a lot of fanfare and celebration. He put up hundreds of helium balloons and streamers, built a scoreboard around his TV, bought pizza, soda, and chips.

How did he pay for it? He printed fancy tickets that he sold for $15 a piece that he allowed people to buy by invitation only (they had to be good fans). Average attendance for these game day gatherings was around 25 people. Tanner wanted to have the party, wanted it to be big, but didn’t want to have to pay for it. He threw the party true to his nature!

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Recreational Activities:
Prefer competitive action

Whenever planning activities for your Type 3 child, remember that their primary connection with the world is physical. Make sure they participate in activities with a swift learning curve that they can learn through doing. If they have to sit and wait for extended instructions before jumping in, they will lose interest. Let them dive right in and learn to swim!

Of all the Types, Type 3 children are the most naturally competitive. They love a challenge, especially if it’s physical. They also enjoy activities where they can move at their own pace without others telling them they’re too fast or too pushy. Give your Type 3 child a lot of opportunities for physical outlets where they can engage in healthy competition. Sports like soccer, basketball, tennis, volleyball, gymnastics, and swimming are good options. Baseball is not always a Type 3 favorite (too much sitting and waiting), unless they play a position that moves things forward, such as pitcher. Dance (hip-hop, jazz, anything with an upbeat tempo, rather than ballet), theater, and other artistic endeavors can all cater to a Type 3 child’s movement.

Child Whisperer Tip:
Competition doesn’t always mean competing against others to win. Although Type 3 children are energetically designed to compete against others in games and sports, it is important for them to learn how to lose gracefully with good sportsmanship. Teaching your Type 3 child that they can always compete against themselves in an effort to improve their skills and timing will help them keep things in perspective and learn that winning isn’t everything—although they tend to think it’s a lot more fun when they do win!

Activities to Help a Type 3 Child

Develop Natural Gifts

As you facilitate opportunities for your Type 3 child to develop their natural gifts, remember that these children are physically oriented and express a medium to medium-high level of movement. They need space and time to run and jump and move without limitations on how hard they play or how much they move. Give them these outlets for release and you will have a happy Type 3 child in your home.

Child Whisperer Tip:
You do not have to be the sole source of your Type 3 child’s energy outlets. It is okay (and I would say it’s even necessary) to regularly utilize the help of others, like family members, babysitters, or other people outside the home.
If your Type 3 child is still very young, consider hiring a mother’s helper—a pre-teen or teenager in the neighborhood who can just come wrestle and play with your child while you are still at home. Several mothers I know who felt they needed to be everything, all the time, for their little ones have expressed relief to me that they do not have to match their Type 3 child’s energy all the time. Don’t try it—you’ll burn out. Give them the activity and movement they need through other outlets and other people and both of you will be happier.

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KELSEY’S STORY

Jump On In!

At only three years old, Type 3 Kelsey was determined to jump off the high dive at the community pool. She climbed up, jumped off, and did a flip into the water. Her mother wondered what Kelsey’s reaction would be to the whole experience. Kelsey came up out of the water with a grin, saying, “I want to do that again!”

. . . .

Competitive sports offer a great opportunity for your Type 3 child to express their natural movement. Team sports are good options because they offer children a chance to interact physically. Plus, they give your Type 3 child a chance to lead. However, don’t rule out individual sports. Gymnastics, diving, mountain biking, rock climbing, skateboarding, or skiing all include an element of risk and allow a Type 3 to go at their own pace without anyone to hold them back. They also offer the experience of competing against themselves.

When it comes to activities that are not sports, think about results. Type 3 children want to see where things are going, why they are headed the direction they are. One example of this attribute is their tendency to skip to the back of books or magazines to see where things end up before investing the time in everything that comes before. Consider debate, crafts, or scouting as additional outlets.

When I was a girl, I loved those little kits you could use to make woven potholders. I remember putting them together at age five or six years old. The instructions were easy to follow, the project was quick—and at the end, I had a potholder! I also loved puzzles and when I was old enough (about 12 years old), I asked my mom if I could take sewing lessons and learn how to do needlepoint and cross-stitch. I loved sewing, as it offered me the experience to work on projects and see the results of my efforts. By age 13, I became so skilled at handiwork that I was hired by a local company that produced small needlepoint kits to put together the samples that were displayed in the stores where the kits were sold.

Child Whisperer Tip:
Whatever activities you provide for your Type 3 child, allow for variety. They get bored with the same routine and the same activities when they happen every day, unchanged. These children are always willing to jump in and try new things, so let them. Think projects! Type 3 children love a project that offers them a result that they can stand back and admire.

Make sure you take time to admire their results with them. “Look what I did” is an attitude and trait that will be a part of your Type 3 child’s nature their entire life. Don’t think they are bragging or doing what they do to impress others. Their natural tendencies just create results that make lasting impressions.

I am sure that the mother of Type 3 Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympic swimmer, is very impressed with her son. It also probably means a lot to Michael to be able to say, “Hey, Mom, look what I did!” Thank goodness that Debbie Phelps raised Michael true to his go-big-or-go-home Type 3 nature or he may have never developed his remarkable talents as a swimmer!

Which activities can you think of that would honor the movement of your Type 3 determined child? List a few here:

Learning Tendencies

Learning Style:
Hands-on works best

Type 3 children learn best by doing. When they want to learn something, nothing will stop them from doing and trying. If you’re teaching your Type 3 child a concept or idea, they’ll let you know if you’re talking too much by saying, “Just let me do it,” or “Just let me try!”

These children move at a swifter pace through life, which might lead you to think they aren’t picking up on certain concepts or ideas. They may surprise you with what they know. They learn in passing while moving from one activity to the next. They need fast-paced, flexible learning opportunities in order to stay engaged.

Child Whisperer Tip:
Waiting around for lots of instructions and minutia—as in a traditional classroom setting—bores Type 3 children. In order to start moving an activity forward, they may act out. If you need to give instructions, do it while your child is already working so they don’t feel frustrated.

Classroom Behavior:
Need activity

Since their primary connection to the world is physical, Type 3 children don’t like sitting very long. They appreciate swift-paced learning environments with a variety of activities and tactile experiences. They enjoy projects rather than lectures. Look for hands-on classes with active teachers.

Child Whisperer Tip:
Sitting for a long time without something to do is torture for a Type 3 child. Talk to their teacher to see if they can be allowed to work on something with their hands during classroom instruction. It can be something as simple as drawing or taking notes, but it needs to be something that creates a result.

One woman who taught a children’s class at her church brought a boondoggle keychain for a Type 3 girl to make every week during their lesson. Because that girl had something to work on, she actually listened better.