strong willed
you see that kid up on that wall?
that’s me. sharing my love for mixed prints already
aw, cute right?
don’t be fooled
i was a stubborn little bitch
every day of my life between the age of five and seven, i think i got beat/smacked/slapped by my mother
i drove her crazy and those were still the good old portuguese days when you beat your kids
so i got beat
e-ve-ry day
i deserved it. most times
i was loved by all and all shared the same hatred when it came to me
my stubbornness
when i wanted something, i had to have it
right then and there
that very minute
if i didn’t want to do something, i would put up a fight
most kids are like that. no?
some more than others
as i have gotten older, i don’t like to use the word stubborn so much
i much prefer strong willed
and i think it’s important to be strong willed and to not get that beaten out of you through life
Lily is definitely a very strong willed child
she takes after her mother and a bit after her father as well
as hard as it is some days to deal with her, i try to find a compromise because i don’t want her to feel completely defeated and think that it’s a bad thing to be strong willed
because it isn’t
i think it’s actually a great thing
to be strong willed to fight and stand for things you believe in
were any of you super strong willed children? how did your parents deal with it? how do you deal with your own strong willed children?
Rachel
March 21, 2012 @ 1:32 pm
I was not a strong willed child. I was a submissive, calm, easy going child that rarely objected to my mother…until I became a teenager and all hell broke loose. I have theories about this but I won’t get to much into it. I’ll just say that I have been blessed with strong willed children. I also don’t use the word stubborn. It’s a negative word and I don’t want to label them. But I really respect a childs desire for control in their lives. They are practicing for adulthood. Of course as a parent we have to guide, protect, etc. and can’t let our children run their own lives….yet…but I allow them to make choices about what they wear, what they eat ( mostly! I make sure choices are healthy) and about what they are wanting to learn about. I think this gives them freedom and a certain amount of control that they seek and need. Things like brushing teeth, holding hands in the street, of course are a must, but I find if they have some control in their lives in certain aspects they won’t fight me on other things.
I also have to push my own ego down sometimes and stop taking things personally and appreciate and respect their own oneness and place in the world.
It’s a tough balance. I have to read a lot and take a chill pill sometimes.
I’m learning though in my patience and willingness to let them have some choices and freedoms, they are learning to take responsibility for themselves, something that comes in handy as they grow up.
But yes, strong willed children are a challenge, but I also believe a real blessing.
Lily is yours!!
Have a great day.
Claudia
March 23, 2012 @ 2:31 am
@Rachel,
i agree with you on a lot of this. i think it’s super important to let them think for themselves and make decisions for themselves. hope you have a great weekend!