If you’re a mom to a determined and strong-willed child, I won’t sugarcoat this for you. It’s a challenge, to say the least. I know you may feel like you should control her stubborn personality, but that may not be the best idea.
Although they’re a real challenge to deal with, most determined children grow up to be incredibly strong, independent and focused on their path. Of course, these traits don’t make them any easier to parent, but they’ll definitely serve them once they grow older.
Of course, I understand all you want to do is temper that small free spirit of hers. Your little fighter is stubborn, likes to argue, and knows exactly what she wants – and she’s not afraid to get it! It’s enough to drive you up the wall.
When you feel frustrated by these traits, reflect on them a bit more. Think about the woman you’re raising. She might be hard to deal with now, but her strong will and determination will definitely do her good as an adult.
She won’t let anyone mess with her, let me tell you that! Okay, she won’t let you mess with her either, but that’s not the point here. The thing is, if you want her to grow up and be a strong woman who’s focused on her goals, you’ll have to endure her determination now.
You can’t control her now and tame these traits of hers, then expect her to be free and determined once she grows up. In your day-to-day life, this kind of behavior is definitely a challenge, but here’s why it also may be the best thing ever.
1. When she sets her mind on something, she gets it done
Oh, I’m sure you’re aware of this one. When your little one sets her mind on something, she’ll make it happen, no matter what. Sure, you can try to stop her, but you’ll probably do more harm than good. Most of the time, she’ll throw a tantrum, and still get her way.
If it’s not something that could harm her, let her be. She wants to go down the slide one more time before you leave the park? Let her go. It’ll be a lot faster (and less effort!) than trying to change her mind.
In the long run, this strong will of hers will help your young one strive to achieve all her life goals. What’s now going down the slide, one day might be going through college because she’s determined to get that degree.
Just have patience. Sure, don’t spoil her – tell her which things are wrong to do. But don’t try to change her determination. You’ll be thankful for it in the future.
2. She’s probably the most passionate child you’ve seen
No matter how late it is, if your little one wants to paint, best believe she will. You’ll be amazed just how focused she’ll be. If anything, giving her a piece of paper and some paint will give you some time to rest, as she’ll be able to engage with it for hours!
It’s always beautiful to see how she can get lost in this little world she creates for herself whenever she starts doing something. You almost wish you were young again so you’d be able to fully commit yourself to whatever your creative mind came up with this time.
No matter what she does (and she does a lot of things), she always engages in her little adventures with bucketloads of enthusiasm and passion. Right now, it might seem like your little one is always on a hunt for a new mess she can make, but one day this passion of hers will guide her through life.
Because she’ll be driven by her determination and passion, nothing will be able to get in the way of her achieving her goals and dreams. She might want to share her talents with the world, or simply let her passion guide her to the life she’ll truly enjoy.
Read also: To My Child: I Hope You’ll Never Forget How Hard I Tried
3. She’s a born leader
When you watch your little one on the playground, isn’t she always the one that bosses other kids around? She’s always the one who makes the rules, takes charge, and makes others follow her lead. That’s the little leader in her.
Of course, this can be a bit challenging now, especially when she’s supposed to be a part of a group of other kids. Teamwork is not her thing, and she simply refuses to follow others. She’d rather do everything alone than have to follow someone.
She’s a boss in the making. However, in order for this to become a positive trait of hers in the future, you’ll have to do a bit more work when it comes to teaching her good communication and cooperation.
Try to get her to see the bigger picture, and teach her that it’s okay to make mistakes and let others take the lead sometimes. In the end, don’t be surprised if you see your little one grow into an entrepreneur or a leader of whatever group she’s a part of.
4. She never gives up
If your little one wants a dog, don’t bet on her forgetting about it. She never will. Until that puppy is in her arms, she’ll never stop bringing it up. She’ll wish for it for every birthday, every time she sees a shooting star, or anytime you ask her what’s her biggest wish.
She’ll never give up, and she’ll never let you forget it. I know how annoying it can be to constantly listen to her ask you about this one thing, but don’t tell her off. In the future, this strong will and perseverance will do her good.
No matter what life throws at her, she’ll be able to persevere and overcome it. Giving up is not a part of her character. If you don’t make her feel bad for it when she’s a kid, she’ll never even think about letting things come between her and the goals she’s trying to achieve.
