"Difficult" Children are just Strong-Willed!

Big Talk About Tiny Humans - A Parenting Podcast

23-02-2022 • 27 mins

In the sixth episode, hosts Dr Meghna and Devishobha talk about the power struggles that never seem to end when raising a strong-willed child, and how these ‘difficult’ children oppose every single rule in the family, leaving their parents wondering if they’re parenting them all wrong!

The hosts discuss how parents of strong-willed children usually get caught up in an unhealthy cycle: they parent with an authoritarian style by exerting control and authority, failing which, exhausted and weary, they switch to a more permissive style of being controlled by their strong-willed children, and so on.

The hosts share strategies on how to deal with difficult behaviors of strong-willed children.

Big Talk About Tiny Humans is India’s first research-based podcast for parenting and educators, hosted by Devishobha Chandramouli and Dr Meghna. Visit https://ivm.today/tinyhumans to learn more about the show.

In Episode 6, the hosts discuss why strong-willed children are described as having ‘negative persistence’ and why the disciplining strategies that work with other children don’t seem to work with them.

They talk about the difference between ‘special needs’ and ‘difficult behavior.’

The hosts discuss how the behavior of a strong-willed child (or any child for that matter!) is NOT a reflection on their parents. It’s not their parent’s report card. Instead, how the parents respond to their child’s behavior is actually what is reflective of their parenting.

The hosts share their guidelines for disciplining strong-willed children: CLEAR. C= Counselling, L= Limits, E= Experiential Learning, A= Acknowledge, and R= Respect.

If you wish to learn more, check out:

Setting Limits with Your Strong-Willed Child, by Robert J. Macenzie


Peaceful Parenting your Strong-willed Child- an excellent blog by parenting expert Dr Laura Markham

Tune in to Big Talk About Tiny Humans every Wednesday for new episodes!

Have a question or topic you’d like to see covered on the show? Follow and DM the hosts on Instagram at @kidskintha and @thetherapistmommy and the hosts will address them in future episodes. Visit https://kidskintha.com/ and https://raisingfamilyacademy.com to learn more about the hosts’ ongoing programs on parenting and child development.

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