The Strong Willed Child

Yep I got one...he is beautiful. loving and funny....

Jesse "Iron Will" Smith

I have tried everything from ignoring his antics to 123 Magic (which by the way is an excellent idea).  I had gotten to my wits end with him and had vowed to beat his little butt every time he defied me or challenged me...After a full day of frustration, I felt like the Holy Spirit was giving me the answer.  He's strong willed and it was up to me to find the parenting style best for him...
The strong willed child has to be dealt with differently than a kid that is being naughty.  Like a child with Aspergers or ADD structure and routines are very important and can make or break a day for the child and parent....Keeping to a schedule is not easy for me...I make them, plan to stick with them and 90% of the time get distracted and down the drain the schedule goes. Being ordered or forced to behave a certain way is a waste of time and just brings frustration.  Giving him choices is helping more than anything...Do you want to wear boots or sneakers? Do you want milk or water? Do you want to eat and have desert or go hungry? So far so good....


On of the many articles poured over this week:

Strong-willed children, who may also be called difficult or spirited children, can be a challenge to parents. There's no clear reason why some children are strong-willed, but it's probably due to a combination of factors, including genetics, chemical balance and environment, according to the University of Minnesota Extension's Parenting Resources. Being able to identify the characteristics of a strong-willed child is the first step toward successfully parenting one.

Intense

Strong-willed children don't usually roll with the punches. They tend to react to situations and environments intensely, exhibiting extreme signals of happiness and sadness when confronted with different circumstances and environments.

Persistent

Once a strong-willed child begins a task, he will persist until the task is completed. Strong-willed children are very goal-oriented, and it can be incredibly difficult to dissuade them from a particular task or encourage them to try a different approach to a task that is giving them trouble. Convincing your strong-willed child to change his mind about something can be difficult.

Sensitive

Strong-willed children may have strong reactions to smells, noises, lights and other environmental factors that other people might not even notice. Even the slightest change in their environment, such as opening a window, can have a big impact on sensitive strong-willed children. In the same way, strong-willed children can be easily distracted by events happening around them.

Rigid

Strong-willed children like things to be consistent and don't adapt well when their environment or schedule changes. It can also be difficult for strong-willed children to transition from one activity to another one because they become so focused on whatever they are doing.

Energetic

Not all strong-willed children exhibit high-energy behavior, but many do. They may express their energy in running, climbing and jumping, or in building, drawing and making small projects.

Source : Livestrong.com