Parent UP!

"I don't want him to get mad at me."

"It's just not worth the fight."

I often hear these comments from parents who don't want to confront and correct their child's inappropriate behavior, or to enforce rules about a situation. They fear an outburst or drawn-out power struggle.

Guess what? You are the parent. You are the one controlling the situation. You are responsible for teaching your child. I respond to parents with this dose of reality, "deal with it now or deal with it later when it's a larger problem."

I understand the daily strain of raising kids. There were days when I wondered, "ugh, it it worth it?" Then I reminded myself, "I can take care of a small problem now or a big one later." I opted for the small problem.

Do you have a story of successful discipline with your child? Leave your comment here because it may encourage another reader!

Your Strong-Willed Child

If I had a dollar for every time I've heard parents, teachers, or grandparents use the expression "strong-willed child," I'd be wealthy!

I recently became acquainted with Dr. Liane Leedom, psychiatrist and author of Just Like His Father. She also offers a website where she writes, "The so-called strong-willed child actually has poor will power, NOT good will power! Will power helps children behave in a good way and resist temptation. Will power developed over the course of childhood protects against ADHD, addiction and antisocial personality disorder."

Dr. Leedom says that kids perceived as "strong-willed" actually have an imbalance between their drive for social dominance and impulse control. "The drive for social dominance makes them resistant to correction because they always want to be ‘in charge’ and their weak impulse control is what makes them appear to have strong wills. Hmmm, something to consider.
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