Tips for Raising a Strong Willed Child
I am by no means an expert. Most of the time I don’t know what I am doing at this parenting thing. Some days I do think I am going crazy, but it is never a dull moment. My Princess is very independent, and though I sometimes complain about that, I am very glad. She is smart, cute, independent, and knows what she wants.
Luckily, I am realizing in a very real way that I too tend to be strong willed , and I am slowly learning to give in, take a break, breathe, and most importantly pray.
So my tips for raising a strong willed child are:
- Be patient
- Be consistent
- Be kind
- Be fair
- Be loving
- Be a model of Christ-like love
These are my “Be Attitudes” if you will for parenting. They are much easier said than done. But I am trying. Everyday.
Do you have any good tips for raising a strong willed child?
I love to hear how you, in a practical way, deal with your own children or grandchildren.
I have learned that saying “you need to make it right” when he does something and then helping him pick up what he knocked down, etc… it helps diffuse the situation. Rather than me spending a lot of time lecturing “now what in the world were you thinking” (which is me just letting my thoughts spew out my mouth), we’re more positively focused on making restitution. The milk’s already spilled, so nothing we can do to change THAT! 🙂
Helping your child make it right not only teaches them by example, but it a better approach in my opinion. Thanks for sharing Julie!