If you are raising a strong-willed child, then I bet you’ve figured out that discipline is a challenge.
I figured it out.
After I’d lost it.
I spent 6 months yelling, crying & exhausting myself when my oldest was 2.5. Her sister was just born & she wanted to assert her role as the oldest. She did everything in her power to push buttons.
I tried spanking and some days it just didn’t work. This is the method my parents used & I was frustrated when it didn’t yield the results I thought they should. One day she pushed me over my limit. That day I learned that I was going to have to be creative, or I was going to go crazy.
I chose to be creative.
Now I switch up my discipline…..because I have to! I’m not so sure that I don’t have more than 1 strong-willed child. Here’s what I’ve learned:
Send Them to Their Rooms & Close the Door
Not every action requires a negative reaction. I realized that my daughter thrived off attention–even if it was negative. The more I yelled at her to stop screaming & to stay in her room, the longer she screamed & the more it worked my nerves.
Instead of engaging her behavior, I started sending her to her room and requiring her to keep the door closed.
If she wanted to yell, we weren’t going to be her audience. I told her she could leave once the behavior was finished.
Amazingly, the behavior didn’t last as long. I also didn’t have to worry about her little sister being her audience and taking in the bad behavior.
Push Your Strong-Willed Child to Problem Solve
My daughter is a perfectionist and sometimes her bad behavior came from frustration. If she couldn’t make her little sister do what she wanted her to do, she exerted force.
Now we talk through scenarios and I encourage her to give me an alternate solution. Since she’s only 5, I often have to model this for her until she can learn to think of alternate responses on her own.
If she couldn’t make her little sister do what she wanted her to do, she exerted force. Now we talk through scenarios and I make her tell me an alternate solution.
Since she’s only 5, I often have to model this for her until she can learn to think of alternate responses on her own.
Put Toys in Time Out
If you have a strong-willed child, you will notice that they are usually pretty independent, confident kids.
Sometimes time out doesn’t have the effect you want.
Putting their favorite toys in time out often motivates them to change their behavior to get the toy back.
Be Consistent
Whatever method of discipline you choose, be consistent!! Strong-willed children can outlast you if you let them.
You have to show them that you mean business. If not, you lose all credibility as an authority & risk having your children run over you.
Are you raising a strong-willed child? What has worked for you???