The Mom Crowd

If you have a strong willed child then you know all about the challenges that come with it. Strong willed children are sometimes referred to as being spirited, stubborn or downright difficult. They are self-motivated and inner-directed and are not swayed easily from their own viewpoints. They stick to their guns and want to be right. When they get their hearts or minds set on something there is no changing their focus or direction.

A strong willed child is not prone to give into the pressure of their peers and often likes to pave their own paths in life. They live their lives at full throttle and they are very passionate about what they want.

Parent in a Sensitive Manner

It may be frustrating to be the parent of a child who is strong willed but if you parent your child in a sensitive manner and do not attempt to break his or her will then he or she has the potential to grow into a strong and independent teenager and then young adult with a mind of his/her own. Strong willed children often become leaders.

It is not uncommon for this type of child to end up in a power struggle with their parents. Parents though can refuse to engage in power struggles and can do everything in their power to avoid these power struggles. They can do this by setting proper limits, offering their son or daughter choices, empathizing with their kid and being respectful of where the child is coming from. If as you parent look for win/win solutions as opposed to just telling you child that your word is law then this will prevent your child from blowing up and it will avoid shouting matches from taking place. In this way you will teach your child how to compromise and how to learn the power of negotiation.

Developing Your Child’s Good Qualities

You want to raise a child who trusts you and vice versa. You want your child to develop self-discipline, a sense of responsibility and to be kind and considerate. You also want your child to be able to trust the things he says and does. This helps him to develop self-confidence in his own abilities. Strong willed kids do not want to submit to the will of their parents because they feel that this compromises their integrity. You want your child to listen to you but you must teach him that you want this not because you are bigger and older than him but because you have his best interests at heart.

Strong willed children can be delightful at the best of times but they can also be high energy, persistent, challenging and a complete handful! How then do you help your child to hold onto the qualities that can help him/he grow into amazing adults while still trying to encourage them to be a little more cooperative? You need to develop positive parenting skills to help your spirited wild child to grow and thrive!

Other Things You Can Do

1. Establish rules and routines in your household so you are not always having to tell your child what to do. In this way you will not be the bad guy in the home because your spirited child will already know the rules.

2. Strong willed child want to be masters of their own domain. When possible allow your child to take charge of her own activities as she can. It may be brushing her teeth or putting her lunch into her school bag. Children who are given the opportunity to feel independent will develop responsibility early in life and will not have as much to rebel against.

3. Offer your child choices as opposed to simply giving her orders. In the same way do not give your power away to your child but give him or her the opportunity to make choices when it is applicable. You are still the parent however so make sure you act in an appropriate parenting role.