Strong-willed Children

If your child is strong-willed, you probably have known it since he was a baby! These are the children who feel their wants and needs strongly, and they rarely hesitate to let you know just how they feel. A group of parents in a parenting class described their own strong-willed children in the following terms:

• "If she doesn't want to do something, there is no way you can make her do it"
• "Always wanting to do everything for herself"
• "Demands constant attention"
• "Always wanting to make the decisions/choices"
• "Not recognizing authority of adults/parents"
• "Unpredictable"
• "Independent"
• "Determined"
• "Temperamental"
• "Talks back a lot"
• "Overly sensitive"
• "Frequent tember tantrums"
• "Negative reactions--everything is a fight or a struggle"
• "Won't mind"
• "Resists direction"
• "Doesn't respond to discipline"
• "Knows no limits"
• "Tells us what to do"
• "Resists anything done to him--diaper changes, bath, dressing, etc."
• "Headstrong"
• "Argumentative"
• "Aggressive"
• "Often upset"
• "Dominant"
• "Goes out of her way to complete a task even if you show an easier way the task can be completed"
• "Cries to get her way constantly"
• "Her way or no way--no matter what"
• "Argues every point"
• "Pushes things to the extreme"
• "Works on a frustrating task (maybe one that is over his age level) until completed"
• "Will focus on one thing and be persistent until she gets what she wants"
• "Her own ideas"
• "Resistant to change"

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