Tackling spirited or unruly children is one of the toughest tasks of the world. These kids always challenge authority and do not cooperate with their parents. You must be extremely patient for controlling them. Most parents find it hard to manage the spirited children. They often have no clue as to how they can discipline their children.
There are no special rules of parenting for your spirited child. They have to be treated in the same way as any other normal child is treated by their parents. The parents must keep in mind is that their kids are normal yet different. The spirited kids are sensitive, hyperactive and moody. You have to deal cautiously with them.
Do not curse yourself for resenting your own kid at times when they act irrationally. Spirited children like to put up a fight against all sorts of authority. They are extremely stubborn and will cry or mope for hours about the same thing. Instead of resenting your kids and then feeling guilty, you should accept them completely and draw a plan of action.
Take care of yourself and make some time for meditation to restore your mental calm. Chalk out a strict routine for your unruly kids early. If your spirited kids get accustomed to the routine, they won’t deviate from it easily. They will know what you are expecting from them and follow the routines.
Ultimatums do not work with spirited children. However, if you go ahead and do exactly what you had promised to do through the ultimatum they will learn a lesson about boundaries. For example if you announce a punishment of dessert-less weekend and they still misbehave, then make sure they do not get one drop of sugar for the entire weekend. This is the only way to make them take you seriously.
Incentive based strategies also work in disciplining the spirited children. Negotiate with them and give them what they want when they listen to you or behave nicely. There are many support groups for the parents of unruly kids. Joining one of them will help you understand your spirited children better.
Summary:
The spirited kids love to do exactly the opposite of what their parents ask them to do. Parents must be patient and tactful for handling these kids appropriately. Use incentives and punish them if necessary for teaching them about limits and behavioral boundaries.
