So you’ve heard the term “strong-willed” child before but not really sure if it applies to your kid? Here are 10 of the strongest Characteristics of a Strong-Willed Child.
Strong-Willed Child Characteristics
Whenver we see a kid out in public misbehaving themselves, we automatically think it has something to do with the way they were raised.
Must be the parents fault, right?
Until one day you have a kid of your own and you follow all the parenting books, and watch Nanny 911, and do eveything possible to have a well behaving child.
But instead, they turn out to be difficult. And you are left wondering what you did wrong.
The answer? Nothing! You did nothing wrong. Some kids are born strong-willed.
So what are some Characteristics of a Strong-Willed Child? Here are 10 sure ways to recognize you are raising a strong-willed child.
- For more information about the Strong-Willed Child, check out All Children Flourishing.
Strong-Willed Child Personality Traits
A Strong-willed child can often be labeled as disobedient, stubborn, or difficult.
They will often challenge you and have an angry side to them.
But that does not make these “bad” kids. A Strong-willed child has a lot of traits that make them different than other kids. But with the right amount of Positive Parenting, these kids can grow up to be strong and amazing.
Keep Reading: How To Use Positive Parenting In Your Everyday Life
10 Signs You’re Raising a Strong-willed Child
1 – They are Impatient
Strong-willed kids need to do things NOW. They do not like to wait. Part of this is because when they feel like they have a good idea, they need to act on it.
So if they are hungry, you better feed them soon. If they need new socks, they will want you to drive them to Target right now to get some.
2 – They are Bossy
They know what the want and how things should be done and there is no convincing them otherwise.
Because of this, they have a tendency to be bossy. If your child tends to boss their friends around and only want to play by their rules, chances are they are strong-willed.
3 – Controlling
Strong-willed kids will love to tell you what they think.
They love being the ones to make the rules and are very quick to point out anyone who is breaking the rules.
They also tend to get very upset when someone is breaking the rules. If it’s another kid in class or they find litter on the side of the road, your strong-willed child will get VERY upset.
4 – Want to do Everything Themselves
Some Characteristics of a Strong-Willed Child also include how stubborn they can be always wanting to do everything on their own.
This is most likely because they are perfectionists and want everything done in a certain way.
But they are also fiercely independent and there is just no telling a strong-willed child that they can’t do something.
As they grow older, this will often come as an advantage.
5 – Cannot be Told What To Do
A Strong-willed kid often thinks that they know best. And because of this, it is really hard to tell them what to do.
My daughter even thinks she has the privilege of knowing personal details like finances and family secrets. In her mind, she sees herself no different than any adult.
6 – Strong Opinions
You’ll know you have a strong-willed child because they will have no problem telling you what they think.
These kids will have an opinion and it is often very difficult to change the way they think.
7 – The Argue a lot
one day your strong-willed child may grow up to be a great lawyer. But until then, you’ll notice that they argue a LOT.
If you say it’s 8 pm and it’s only 7:59 pm… be prepared for a 10 minute argument about it.
They hate being wrong and will do anything argue their point until you either give up or they are right.
8 – They are Schedule Oriented
Strong-willed kids need to be on a schedule.They thrive on routine and typical do very well when they have advance notice of what is going on, before it happens.
If you throw off their routine, they can become irritable and difficult.
You can combat this by giving them instructions before an event actually takes place. If I know we are going to be out really late one night, I will prepare my daughter the day before so she knows what to expect.
9 – They are Super Inquisitive
Strong-willed kids want to know EVERYTHING. Most toddlers will ask “why” a bunch of times but strong-willed kids take it to the next level.
they will not just want to know “why”, they will want to know every detial they can.
Don’t think you can have a conversation with anyone else near a strong-willed child. They will dissect it and want to know more.
10 – Determined
You definitely know your kid is strong-willed because they are extremely determined.
They will always want to finish what they started and they will need to do it perfectly.
This will help them immensely later in life but can often lead to frustration in younger kids.
The Positive Characteristics of A Strong-Willed Child
Before you start thinking it’s all hopeless and your child is going to give you noghitn but problems for the rest of your life, take a deep breath!
There are many advantages to having a Strong-Willed child.
Strong-willed kids are very passionate. You will never find a kid who loves harder than they do. My strong-willed daughter is a LOVER. She is affectionate and has no problem sharing her feelings.
Yes, they fight hard too. But if it’s something they believe in, fighting hard can be a good thing.
Strong-willed Children are leaders. It might be up to you to guide them to be a leader of a company versus the leader of a gang. But they strive for the best and this can help them in the future.
They tend to get good grades and do very well at school. Because they are perfectionists, they won’t settle for anything less than an A.
Frustrated with Your Strong-Willed Child?
Sign up for a FREE 60- minute online class to getting kids to listen without nagging, yelling, or losing control.
Keep Reading:
- Does Your Kid Have These Strong-Willed Child Qualities?
- How To Parent The Strong-Willed Child
- How to Deal With Your Bossy Kid
Leave a Reply