Lucky! Have fun at the beach-hope your strong willed little one is on his best behavior 😉

Thanks for including me in your wonderful round-up!ReplyCancel

I really really really admire Nurse Christian Bloggers especially when they share how they live for God while encountering type of things. and you're right on that. There is a time for everything. (I mean the Bible is right on that :D)

wanna exchange links? I would love to visit your blog whenever I update 🙂ReplyCancel

I really really really admire Nurse Christian Bloggers especially when they share how they live for God while encountering type of things. and you're right on that. There is a time for everything. (I mean the Bible is right on that :D)

wanna exchange links? I would love to visit your blog whenever I update 🙂ReplyCancel

this is one trampoline that i would love to have!ReplyCancel

Sorry you had a bummer of a week-here's to a great weekend that will leave it all behind!ReplyCancel

I'm literally itching to get into my swimsuit, go to the pool, read a book, and enjoy the sun! Come on already! It's been raining ridiculously here!
Lila Ferraro
Queen Bedroom SetsReplyCancel

I hope Gideon is OK and that things "fall" back into place soon… hang in there!ReplyCancel

http://www.alankazdin.com/

I'm reading his book right now…not so much for a defiant child, but for the discipline techniques he suggests. Check it out!ReplyCancel

My 4 year old daughter is very strong willed and I have a heck of a hard time with her as well. She just does not seem to respond to any type of punishment-time outs or being reprimanded don't even phase her! I recently picked up a book at the library titled "Parenting the Strong Willed Child" and it is a five week program created by psychologists that is more focused on how you can match your parenting skills to create more peace with your child. Their main point is that children are born strong willed and our reactions to those behaviors as parents are what will make them better or worse. That sounds pretty negative, but so far it seems like a pretty good book (only a few chapters in). Here is the link on amazon if you want to check it out: http://www.amazon.com/Parenting-Strong-Willed-Child-Clinically-Six-Year-Olds/dp/0071383018/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274799570&sr=8-1

Good luck!ReplyCancel

God and his word is the answer to all of our worries. I am only a parent of a chihuhahua so i cant understand but i know that in all things prayer will help ease the worries and fears. pray hard! be loving. have faith that you are an amazing parent just by being you!
all my love to you. xoxoReplyCancel

I don't really have any "wisdom" because I am in the same boat as you! My 24 month old Adalie has hit a very "challenging" stage. I've been trying to stay positive about it, when I go to bed at night and wake up the next day I think to myself "today is a new day".

I try to take the challenges a day at a time. 🙂

Frustrated as well,

MReplyCancel

Maria, you are not alone. You never will be. That's comforting to me 100x a day – whatever the challenge, it's probably not the first time another woman has seen and conquered it. It's certainly NOT the first time our faithful, loving God has seen it!
We have a very strong-willed child who is all of the wonderful things you mentioned: a natural born leader, etc. She truly NEVER runs out of ideas or out-of-the-box questions! I have attempted to put my finger on my personal frustrations in the discipline department and have often realized that I was trying to accomplish too much when she was "up." I accomplish much when my two are sleeping! haha I have discovered that it takes consistency to master defeat with my two children! Consistent discipline, consistent praise, consistent schedules. My strong-willed one responds very well to positive reinforcement. I printed out a chart from http://www.ChuckECheese.com (labeled dressing myself) that has 2 weeks of empty boxes. She also loves stickers. So, when she has made a good choice/done something responsible/shared with little baby sis, etc., she gets to add a sticker to the chart. After the 14 spots have filled up, we make a big to-do about it and head out for a fun-filled 3 hour trip to CEC's. Each sticker is a BIG deal, as I make it so! I let her choose the sticker, pull it off, and stick it wherever she chooses. It's hanging on the refrigerator side, right at eye level. On the reverse, she hates spankings. Time out doesn't work very well because she's too creative and always floats off to a happy dreamland haha!!! I quite literally drop EVERYTHING and will pull out our Bible in really challenging moments. I know you believe the Bible to be true and powerful. It's living, Maria! Our precious children have a soul and a war is already waged against it! Read the verses to him aloud – it serves as a reminder of what's really important to us as parents, and will minister to his very soul. God's Word will never return void. Look up "obey" in your index, etc. We read them almost daily around here! "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right." I explain to her that this is the first commandment with a promise, "that you may live a long life."
Okay, so this is really long. But, I LOVE YOU and Gideon!!!
Lastly, I realize that we have all benefited when I have a plan. My children get "into things" when I have nothing for them to do. By that, I mean nothing structured. Lord knows there are 1,000+ toys, crafty things, books, etc. to play with – but sometimes it takes ME simply. With a laundry list of "to dos" every day, I remind myself daily of what the Lord has called me to do in blessing me with my precious little children. What a gift. What trust He has in us to give them to us to raise!!! What a calling!
You're a wonderful mother. You are a blessing to Gideon and all those around you.
Love,
Kristie Dunn <3ReplyCancel

I don't know that my wisdom is worth much considering I'm still struggling with J but I've got several books and tapes that have given me some inspiration.
We did have to really pull back get a schedule and consistent routine and then slowly introduce a little more go with the flow.
It was hard but really keeping the underlying consistent routine has helped a bunch. School I think would have been a disaster for J if we had not set that routine, because school is all about routine.
Love to chat with you soonReplyCancel

Maria, you are not alone. You never will be. That's comforting to me 100x a day – whatever the challenge, it's probably not the first time another woman has seen and conquered it. It's certainly NOT the first time our faithful, loving God has seen it!
We have a very strong-willed child who is all of the wonderful things you mentioned: a natural born leader, etc. She truly NEVER runs out of ideas or out-of-the-box questions! I have attempted to put my finger on my personal frustrations in the discipline department and have often realized that I was trying to accomplish too much when she was "up." I accomplish much when my two are sleeping! haha I have discovered that it takes consistency to master defeat with my two children! Consistent discipline, consistent praise, consistent schedules. My strong-willed one responds very well to positive reinforcement. I printed out a chart from http://www.ChuckECheese.com (labeled dressing myself) that has 2 weeks of empty boxes. She also loves stickers. So, when she has made a good choice/done something responsible/shared with little baby sis, etc., she gets to add a sticker to the chart. After the 14 spots have filled up, we make a big to-do about it and head out for a fun-filled 3 hour trip to CEC's. Each sticker is a BIG deal, as I make it so! I let her choose the sticker, pull it off, and stick it wherever she chooses. It's hanging on the refrigerator side, right at eye level. On the reverse, she hates spankings. Time out doesn't work very well because she's too creative and always floats off to a happy dreamland haha!!! I quite literally drop EVERYTHING and will pull out our Bible in really challenging moments. I know you believe the Bible to be true and powerful. It's living, Maria! Our precious children have a soul and a war is already waged against it! Read the verses to him aloud – it serves as a reminder of what's really important to us as parents, and will minister to his very soul. God's Word will never return void. Look up "obey" in your index, etc. We read them almost daily around here! "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right." I explain to her that this is the first commandment with a promise, "that you may live a long life."
Okay, so this is really long. But, I LOVE YOU and Gideon!!!
Lastly, I realize that we have all benefited when I have a plan. My children get "into things" when I have nothing for them to do. By that, I mean nothing structured. Lord knows there are 1,000+ toys, crafty things, books, etc. to play with – but sometimes it takes ME simply. With a laundry list of "to dos" every day, I remind myself daily of what the Lord has called me to do in blessing me with my precious little children. What a gift. What trust He has in us to give them to us to raise!!! What a calling!
You're a wonderful mother. You are a blessing to Gideon and all those around you.
Love,
Kristie Dunn <3ReplyCancel

I don't really have any "wisdom" because I am in the same boat as you! My 24 month old Adalie has hit a very "challenging" stage. I've been trying to stay positive about it, when I go to bed at night and wake up the next day I think to myself "today is a new day".

I try to take the challenges a day at a time. 🙂

Frustrated as well,

MReplyCancel