Tips On Raising A Strong Willed Child

 

 

Children have the tendencies to test and push your boundaries from time to time. Some children do this mildly and occasionally, some intensively and more often. A strong willed child is usually argumentative, agitative, obliging and insistent on having his way all the time, making discipline and daily life hard on all members of his family.  These tips help you deal with the situation:

 

– Develop your own strong, skillful and transpersonal will, not discarding the place of  quality wisdom.

 

– Be your age. Never try to come down as low as a buddy for the strong-willed child. Be age appropriate.

 

– Continually show the child how much you care.

 

– Simplifying life for the child goes a long way. Curtail the time for watching television to about thirty minutes a day and make creative tools available for the child to exercise his own imagination.

 

– Puzzles and asking him questions that exercise his reasoning ability will help in developing his inner resources, therefore, do these often.

 

– Guide him into recognizing his will, love and abilities as this will increase his self-esteem.

 

– Set limits on inappropriate behaviour. This is so important. “Time-outs” work best when the child is set down in the same room as the parent with the child’s eyes closed for an appropriate time. Sending a strong-willed child into another room doesn’t work as well. The child must get the feeling that he is not abandoned at this time.

 

– Build up a community of people with similar values to create a “village” for the child. This should include neighbours, teachers, friends, a counsellor and a physician.

 

– Create an environment where there are options to make choices from, give him reasons and consequences for different behaviours and leave the choice to him. This gives him the feeling that he is in charge of his life and when he makes the wrong choice, consequences need to be effected.

 

– Respecting choices is a way to make life with the child easier. The more situations he can make choices, the better. At the same time, there needs to be a limit to the number of choices you offer him. Children below twelve years old can manage two options easily while older ones can handle three.

 

– Believe in him and show him that you do. Being your child’s advocate in school and the community makes life with him simpler.