The changes at age 9 are very different from those at any other stage. I found the changes at 6 (traversed it personally 5 times) much easier, but it does give you some prep for 9. The changes at 12, 14, 16 are way easier than age 9 (at least in my experience.) I sort of think of some of the changes like this... If 6 is leaving Eden, the changes at 6 are often sadness and frustration at the loss of being small, the changes at 9, are a follow up to that. At 9, they are smacked with some of the horror of the world, they are mad about their new found independent feelings but they can't do a ton (in their eyes) about their surroundings.

I HAVE found that parents who struggle have kids that struggle more, but that being said MOST kids struggle to some degree. Most get mad, frustrated, irritable, self righteous, indignant and just plain rude at times during the change. The outbursts have a lot to do with home life, exposure to negative people AND in my opinion, temperament.

My melancholic...

There are so many factors for us in gathering our planning and making it stick. If you can get through the rhythm part then you have half the battle won! I think looking at our own temperament is an important element in the planning and more importantly the executing of our plans. 

In general, sanguines are great planners, but execution is their weakness. Cholerics have it all planned and are ready to execute but struggle with keeping it alive. Both have a wonderful abundance of will - if it can be tamed. Phlegmatics often struggle with getting the plan in place AND executing - putting off the planning and then looking at pretty blogs online can keep us from actually DOING the work. Melancholics tend to put off the planning and the execution because they are really worried that they will mess something up. Both of these temperaments have to work on balancing by building up the will where it lacks. The will is a funny thing - balance here is key, you don't want too much or too...