Having a strong-willed child is definitely a blessing, and at times a curse. This is the one thing no one ever tells you: Some kids are made for pushing limits, and you just might end up with your hands full.
My little girl is very smart and independent. She is also strong-willed. What does that mean? Some might say it’s code for a rotten brat. The ones who say that usually have really easy-going kids. Those parents will never fully understand how it is to have a strong-willed kid.
Like most kids, my little princess can be a brat, and maybe a bit more often than most. She is also really smart and knows what she wants and screw the rest. Parenting her means there is never a dull moment.
She is really one of the funniest kids I have ever been around. She even has her very own cake face for when she wants cake (gets me every time). She’s super creative and makes her own accessories videos. In these mock YouTube videos, she puts on a bunch of hair accessories and describes them in great detail.
She is also only four years old, so if she didn’t sound remarkable before, she should now.
So far what I have learned is that parenting her can be extremely entertaining and equally trying. I have also learned to roll with the punches and choose my battles wisely. This means if she wants to wear a black and white polka dot skirt with a long sleeve My Little Pony pajama top, by all means, be my guest.
What I have also learned are my limits. This means that if I’m shopping, and she wants a new toy EVERY time we go out, she is out of luck. She can cry it out, and she does.
Strong-willed kids need limits. Otherwise, they are smart enough to know who they can run right over, and they will. This does not mean she will stop trying to get her way; it just means she isn’t going to get it.
The hardest thing is taking a strong-willed child around other parents. It’s easy to stand back and judge another mom. We all do it.
Being on both sides of that fence, I have learned that parenting is not easy — period. Some of us are just barely hanging in there. Sometimes we just have to learn not to care what others think and ask for support when it’s needed.
If you’re raising a strong-willed child, keep in mind that they grow up. They will be the leaders one day, not the followers. They will rule the world!
So the next time you find yourself ready to pull your hair out or lock yourself in a bathroom, just try and picture them as the C.E.O of a fortune five hundred company or the head of the world’s largest conglomerate of deliciously scented candles.
Who knows? The sky’s the limit!
**********
About Gizelle Arriola
Gizelle Arriola is a mother of a wonderfully chaotic blended family with two wildly funny and equally crazy little girls who always keep her on her toes and her extremely talented stepson who is on a scholarship for music at S.F.S.U. She enjoys reading, poker and long walks on the beach as well as blogging about her life and the joys of motherhood (not necessarily in that order), and whenever possible, she takes her handsome and at-times impossible husband along for the ride. Look for her on her Facebook page, Dearest Mommy and on her blog.