This blog is part of a series on how to deal with the terrible twos when your child is strong willed. I tend to look at being strong willed like any other personality trait–as a gift. Strong willed toddlers will grow up to be leaders and in this their potential lies. However, getting through the terrible twos with a strong willed little one is not easy. My other ‘strong willed’ toddler articles are linked below if you have some catching up to do!
With that said, here are a few more characteristics of strong willed toddlers:
Very Needy
It’s sounds oxymoronic but strong willed children also tend to be the ones who want the most cuddling, and the most praise for their good deeds and accomplishments. And it starts early too! Interestingly, even as an infant, my daughter Meghan (my supreme reigning strong willed child) was needy.
Very Passionate
Or some would say dramatic. But everything tends to be bigger than life. When you don’t have the specific blanket turned just so the way the like it, the world comes to an end. When you have cherry juice instead of grape life may never be the same again. But look for other signs of this overly dramatic trait. Strong willed children are also big on excitement. When they are enjoying an activity, they are exuberant. It is as if it is the best and most exciting activity they’ve ever done in their entire lives.
Perfectionism
As the strong willed toddler gets older, this perfectionism gives way to tenacity. But right now anything that they can’t do ‘just so’ is a major source of frustration! Consequently, strong willed children tend to lack the patience necessary to do arts and crafts or other things that require a lot of sitting. Also, when playing with your strong willed toddler, you’ll find that open ended games and activities go over a lot better. This is because for them, the goal can be met easily.
In my next blog, we will start talking about discipline techniques for strong willed children and why some things just don’t work.
Related Articles:
Characteristics of a Strong Willed Toddler
My Experiences with the Strong Willed Toddler
Why Being Strong Willed Is a Gift