Let's Cut the Emotionally Intense Kids Some Slack

Let’s talk about something no one really talks about: the hard kids. The ones people say are badly behaved, poorly disciplined, overly demanding, etc. The kids who don’t offer a constant stream of easygoing smiles, or give hugs to any newcomer who asks, and who certainly won’t just sit there and go with the flow in new situations.

No, they won't eat the new brand of pizza you bought, and no, they probably don't want to go to that new camp you've signed them up for. They have bad dreams, big worries, they yell and cry easily, they are often anxious or appear angry.

I have two kids. One is hard, just like that. Yes, yes, people always say, “Oh mine is hard too! They’re all hard!” Well sure, okay, to some extent, all children add complexity and challenge to our lives. Of course. But only parents with a strong-willed child like mine really know what I mean.

Parents like me understand the heartbreak of watching their child's personality fall flat of a relative's or friend's expectations:

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To finish reading the full story, visit the Scary Mommy website: http://www.scarymommy.com/strong-willed-child-slack/.