Dr. Meg talks about the strong willed child. If you have a willful child and you feel like the relationship has become defined by wins or losses, fatigue, and guilt, then this episode is custom built for you.
Talking Points:
- One: Be selective with your discipline. Don’t discipline your kid for every little thing they do that is wrong. Instead, you should discipline them for willful acts of defiance. You have to make sure that they are aware of boundaries and rules.
- Two: Be victorious. Once you set rules and boundaries your strong-willed child will break them rather quickly. They are pushing you to see if they can wear you down and beat you. A strong-willed child always wants to win. Don’t let them.
- Three: Be consistent. You may grow tired of having the same conversations and disciplining your child over and over again. You may want to give up, but don’t. All you need to do is make sure your battle plan is the same each time. This will show your child that their repeated defiance is not having an effect on you.
Discussion:
- Initial reactions to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- What are some behaviors that are exhibited by a strong-willed child?
- How do you need to be more selective in your “battles” with your strong willed child?
- Which of these three tips do you think is the hardest to implement? Why?
- What are some of the pros that can come with being strong-willed?
- What other tips do you have for parenting strong-willed children?
- Is there a step you need to take based on today’s topic?
