Saturday, June 21, 2014

Parenting My Strong Willed Child

Before I start talking about my "strong willed child" I first will tell you a little about myself. I am a strong willed momma. I am stubborn, persistent, somewhat inflexible and impatient. I was all of these things before I was a Mom, but being a Mom really shows you more about yourself. Sometimes even more than you want to know. I will say that since Little M came along most of these qualities have taken a backseat. They are still there, oh yes, definitely still there. 

Little M has energy, energy for days. And days.....and days. He also has slept past 8 am twice in his 6 1/2 years of life. TWICE! This is a challenge for a Mommy who has a 10 month old who didn't go to sleep until 11 pm. He's smart, sometimes even too smart, and he is also very literal. So when you say don't hit that play hut with that plastic stick again or I will take it away...well he touches it gently. Then he will spend the next 45 arguing that he didn't "hit it" but just touched it. 


He is stubborn. One morning he spent the entire 15 minutes drive to daycare arguing with me that police officers should carry swords instead of guns. I realized at minutes 13 that I was arguing a battle I wouldn't win. And that right there is when stubbornness takes the backseat, and I wave the white flag. Little M is persistent, and he will ask the same questions a dozen times.


Each one of these qualities challenge me daily. Sometimes to the point that Mommy just needs to sit and pray for patience and grace. Because it's the battle of the strong willed in this house. 


Each of these qualities are qualities that will bring Little M a life of independence. I try my hardest to not break this spirit he has. I hope he continues to wake early with great energy and take of each day of his life with the enthusiasm he currently has. I hope he continues to learn, and never stop taking in information. I hope he uses his "stubbornness" to not allow people to walk all over him, and to always stand up for what he believes. I hope he never waves the white flag during a discussion on something that he is passionate about. And I hope if there is something he wants more than anything in the world he continues to be persistent until it is his. 


He has a way of being fair, and I find that to be a beautiful quality in a young child. He bring joy to my life I didn't know was possible. He keeps me on my toes, and makes me a better Mom. He helped me keep my "strong willed" qualities in check. But rest assured that if there is something that I am passionate about I will give him a run for his money.