Our sweet girl may look just like her Daddy....
...but her personality is all me. Yikes!
Yes, we have a Strong-Willed Child (SWC) on our hands. She is sassy and dramatic, and if something is not her idea, she is not interested in it. Do not even think about asking her to do something she doesn't want to do, or say something she doesn't want to say (i.e. "I'm sorry" or "Yes, 'mam") without a struggle. We have had some dramatic days recently with this girl. Sometimes I'm at a loss for what to do with her. We want her to be obedient, kind and respectful, and we are doing our best to be consistent with our discipline. Surely that has to pay off soon.
We've tried some different methods on our own, but it's time for some reinforcements. I have this on its way to me as I type:
And my friend Allison (mother of four) loaned me this one:
Dr. Dobson is a renowned parenting expert, and is sure to have some solid advice for us as we attempt to get our toddler under control before she turns into a Strong-Willed Teenager. Rumor has it that my own parents purchased his books years ago when they were raising a SWC of their own. I am aware that I deserve each and every trial we face with our girl.
On the bright side, having a strong will isn't always such a bad thing. I like to think that my strong-willed personality kept me from being a crowd-follower and led to some good decisions in life, and I would hope that Mimi's inherited traits will equip her to be a good decision-maker as well.
But in the meantime, your prayers are appreciated as we try to be tough and consistent with our little drama queen! Luckily for us all, when she isn't throwing a fit or refusing to be obedient, she sure is sweet and cute.
2 comments:
I know exactly what you are going through. I just bought the same book, The New Strong Willed Child. I know that these years are going to be so challenging but my Daddy just said to me recently, "hang tough baby, she will be able to take of herself one day and make good decisions because of her strong will"! Amen!
Oh Angela! I so understand what you are going through. I pray all the time that God will give me the wisdom on how to parent. Let me know about this book! As my pediatrician told me, they are made strong-willed for a reason :)
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