Problem
Can someone read the following case study and answer the question below:
Our three-year-old, Gabriel, is a very bright, funny, charming little guy, but he has a lot of tantrums. He will get very aggressive physically: hitting, and biting. He will sometimes have very intense tantrums that can last over 5 minutes. When he is happy, he is the most delightful child. But the second something doesn't happen exactly how or when he wants it, he is explosive. Gabriel reacts very poorly to consequences. We are constantly using spanking or trying to negotiate with Gabriel.
Gabriel is also very sensitive. He doesn't like loud noises or going to places with crowds. Gabriel is also sensitive to the feel of clothing. He complains loudly about lumps in socks and scratchy tags. We tell him that he is too sensitive and need to get dressed and stop complaining.
Gabriel does not adapt well to change. When we tell him it is time to leave from the park, he screams and tries to run away from us. He is also irregular in his sleeping schedule. Since we never know when Gabriel will be tired and he protests going to bed, we let him stay up until he fall asleep and then put him in bed. We are totally exhausted.
a) Describe Gabriel's temperament.
b) Do the parents display a goodness of fit strategy for Gabriel's temperament? What strategies would you recommend for Gabriel's parents to ease the situation?