Raising a Strong Willed Child

Although, raising a strong willed child is not easy, parents can play an important role in helping the child use this trait in a positive manner. Here are some tips for raising a strong willed child in a constructive way.Raising a strong willed child can be a challenge to a parent when they are young but if done correctly, they can become self motivated and successful adults. A strong willed child when raised in a right manner can be oblivious to peer pressure and become self motivated to go after what they want.As long as a parent resists the impulse to break their strong will, strong willed children can be a blessing rather than a curse. In this articleAvoid Using Routines and Rules to Create Power StruggleTeach Your Kid to Learn by ExperimentsGive Your Strong Willed Child Plenty of ChoicesPractice Discipline through Love, Not PunishmentLending an EarOffer Respect and Empathy to Your ChildAvoid Using Routines and Rules to Create Power StruggleYou can help your child adopt new routines and lifestyle without creating a power struggle by talking as a friend rather than a bossing parent. By using the words “rules”, you highlight the stern aspect. Instead you can use words like “schedule” and “routine” which helps them adopt stability and consistency in their lifestyle.Teach Your Kid to Learn by ExperimentsStrong willed children do not just accept what you will say but they have to see for themselves. Let them learn through experience instead of controlling and trying to put a leash on them. You can expect that your strong willed child will test her limits repeatedly, but that is how she learns to take care of herself and others. Once you understand how to not get stuck in a loop of power struggle, you can avoid a lot of wear and tear in your relationship with your child.Give Your Strong Willed Child Plenty of ChoicesDo not expect your strong willed child to take orders from you. By offering her choices, you can make your child feel as if she has a control over her life and can take decisions by herself, instilling in her a quality of self respect. Always give choices to your child when you can and do not let yourself get resentful by giving away all the power.Practice Discipline through Love, Not PunishmentJust like you find fights unpleasant, so does your child. Your strong willed child would not learn if you yell at her in the middle of a fight. She will actually shut off and refuse to talk about how she feels. Instead of practicing discipline through punishment which could undermine your child’s confidence and self respect, you can help her express her feelings of hurt or disappointment by making her indulge in talking. By talking about each other’s feelings, your strong willed child will learn to listen and speak when required.Lending an EarAs the adult out of the two, you presume that you know what is best for your child. But, having a strong willed child means that you get to deal with a kid who has a pretty strong will already, owing to her integrity and personal morals. If your child is holding fast to her position, this proves she has a viewpoint and is trying to protect something important to her. Instead of opposing her right away, listen to your child calmly and reflect on her feelings without passing any judgment.Offer Respect and Empathy to Your ChildConsider a situation. Your child is angry because you promised to wash her favourite dress but then you forget, and she throws a fit. To you, she may seem stubborn and ready to pick a fight. To her, she is upset because you are being hypocritical as she is not supposed to break her promises but apparently you can. Instead of letting it turn violent, you clear this up by apologizing profusely and reassuring her that this would not happen again. Consider how you would like to be treated in a certain situation and treat your child accordingly. Most strong willed children are fighting only for their respect and honour. If you offer them respect and empathy, they feel they are being understood and would not react rashly.By being kind and compassionate to your strong willed child, you make sure that their strong spirit and morals remain intact. These in turn, will help them flourish into great leaders, thinkers and motivators for future generation.What things can parents keep in mind while raising a strong willed child? How can parents bring out the best in strong willed children? What are the ways to discipline strong willed children? Discuss here.