Before becoming a parent, I heard others talk about how different their children were from each other, especially in their personalities and temperaments. And now, as a parent, I can vouch for the truth of this.
It’s amazing how children who have the same parents, and who grew up in the same home, can be so different at times. And that’s not a bad thing all. But it does mean that what ‘worked’ for one child may not work for another, and that as parents, we’ll need to adjust accordingly.
And if this is the case for children who share similar genes and grew up in a similar environment, it’s important to realize that the same principle applies all the more to everyone else we come in contact with: what ‘worked’ in relating or communicating with one person, may need to be adjusted for the next.
Everyone is different. And learning to relate to each individual based on who they are — and not who we wished they were — can go a long way.