It is very true that a child's temperament can have a tremendous influence on how people respond to them. Take a child with colic for example. Colic occurs in about 15-20% of infants and involves prolonged bouts of intense crying for no apparent reason at all! A baby with colic can cause even the most calm, laid back parents to snap. The combination of frustration, sleeplessness and concern can manifest itself in anger and hostility toward the child and everyone else!
This is a prime example of a reactive relationship on the environment. Characteristics of the child elicit certain types of physical and social environments. So, in essence, "People act on their environment so as to shape and select their experiences (Rutter, 1997).
Can you think of some other situations that children can affect their parents style?