Search Results for: blog stubborn or strong willed

Parenting Your Strong-Willed Child

This week I have come to the conclusion that I have the most stubborn child on the face of the planet. Ok, not really, but it certainly feels like it. We’ve had more than our fair share of power struggles this week. Unfortunately, he got stuck with an equally stubborn mother, so he can’t win, but that’s not going to stop him from trying. Does this sound familiar to you? There are times when having a strong-willed child may feel like a curse. They can definitely be a handful at times, especially when they are little, but they often grow … Continue reading →

Stubborn or Strong-Willed?

I have written before about how all three of my children are pretty strong-willed and opinionated. Recently, while talking with another parent, he kept referring to his child as willfully stubborn; I realized that depending on how you view it, that tenacity can either be spun in a positive or a negative way… I think it helps to consider a child’s motivation and try to keep an eye on the big picture. A child who is strong-willed and able to stick up for himself, may have a leg-up in life as he gets older. It might be challenging for a … Continue reading →

Characteristics of Strong Willed Toddlers

Every parent that I’ve ever met who is going through the terrible twos with their child thinks that their child is strong willed. I hate to break it to all those moms that think they have their hands full, but being stubborn when you don’t get your way at the age of two is NOT an automatic sign of a strong willed child. Being stubborn when you don’t get your way is normal at the age of two. Throwing a temper tantrum is normal at that age as well. Continuing to do so past the ‘terrible two’ stage is not … Continue reading →

Getting Your Kids to Listen to You

I’ve been a little frustrated with my son lately. It seems like I have to ask him ten times to do anything, and even then he still won’t do it. He’s unbelievably stubborn; and too smart for his own good. That whole reverse psychology thing doesn’t work with him anymore. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve lost my cool with him before when he won’t do what he’s told, much less acknowledge that he’s even been asked to do anything. He’s a pro at ignoring. After our nightly shower battle, I finally decided to do a little research … Continue reading →

Following Through

My son has suddenly turned into a picky eater. He didn’t used to be, but lately he’s spent the majority of picking out all the things he claims he doesn’t like, which is just about everything. It’s become quite a battle at the dinner table. What’s worse, he’s decided he thinks he’s in charge and doesn’t have to listen to mom anymore. If she says, “No candy until you eat your dinner,” he simply says he’ll just have it anyway. Where did this stubborn streak come from anyway? You can’t win with him; he can argue with you for hours … Continue reading →

What Happened to Daddy’s Little Girl

One of the hardest things as a single parent is helping your child maintain a relationship with their other parent. It’s even harder when that parent is not doing their part. I worked hard to make sure Hailey had a relationship with her father. I feel like I did more than my fair share, I would drop her off and pick her up on his weekends. He said since I was the one who wanted the divorce then if I wanted him to have Hailey for the weekend I could do the driving, so I did. I invited him to … Continue reading →

Time Outs for Toddlers

To say I am a firm believer in time outs for toddlers is an understatement. I have tried everything to get my son to behave and listen to what I tell him. He is a very strong-willed, hard-headed, stubborn child. He is full of energy and determination. Consequently, he is always getting into trouble. My son’s most recent reaction to getting into trouble is to smile and come over and hug me. I recently told him, “I don’t want a hug. I want you to listen and to do what you are told.” At that point, he leaned in and … Continue reading →

Teens and The N Word

Miriam Caldwell wrote about Saying No especially when people are asking for favors. Her blog post was primarily discussing requests for service in the church and knowing when to draw the line so that we can care for ourselves. She suggests that it is healthy to say No so as not to become overwhelmed with all of the requests. As parents, the word No is something we don’t want to hear from our kids. It might be cute for a moment when they are 15 months old, but at 15 years, it’s not cute at all. Not only is it … Continue reading →

If it’s Making You Crazy—Try Easing Up

I do not think it matters how sweet and angelic of a child you have, at some point, there are going to be behaviors and personality quirks that drive you crazy! Whether your cherubic baby develops into a picky eater or will wear nothing but shorts and rubber boots for his entire fourth year (I had one of those)—there are going to be things that come up and you are going to be tempted to battle and battle and battle. The only advice I can offer after two decades of parenting is that sometimes easing up is really the best … Continue reading →

Why Force It?

I hear from parent after parent who wants to know how to “force” a child to do something that he or she doesn’t want to do: force to take formula when he prefers breast milk (or vice versa), force to go to bed at a certain time, force to wear a certain type of clothes, force to play a specific sport or do an activity that he or she doesn’t like. I cannot help but wonder why all of these parents are working so hard to force something and wondering whether it is in the best interest of the child … Continue reading →