Parenting Your Powerful Child Part 2 of 3

Bits of wisdom from Parenting Your Powerful Child: Bringing an End to the Everyday Battles by Dr. Kevin Leman.

“Every family has a powerful child…or two.

Some are easy to pick out—

you can hear them from way down the block.

Others you may not recognize as powerful,

but they’re master manipulators.

But you, smart parent that you are,

can learn how to transform your child’s power surges into

positive urges that will benefit everyone in your family

(and a whole lot of other grateful people

in your child’s world too.)

Proverbs 3:5 (HCSB)

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding, think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.”

One powerful kid can add up to a gigantic problem, because that child creates shorts that impact your entire family’s transmission…

…your powerful child turns your living room into a war zone with one look or comment.

If you think of which child in your family has the ability to do that, in an instant you’ve identified your powerful child. (page 33)

Dr. Lehman identifies six types of powerful children on pages 34-42.

• The Loud, Aggressive Manipulator (screams, yells)
• The Temperamental Manipulator (the tamtrum-thrower)
• The Curveball Manipulator (swings from one extreme to the other and sometimes lands in the middle)
• The Quiet, Shy Manipulator (silent, forcing you to extract information from them)
• The Sensitive, Walk-on-Eggshells Manipulator (if you correct them they cry and act wounded and “hate” themselves)
• The Stubborn, Procrastinating Manipulator (you always have to be on their case about something)

Your child’s power surge will only continue if she has easy access to the power source. You, parent, are that power source…

Kids act the way they do because it works. (page 44)

POWER POINTS (page 45)

• All kids are attention-getters. If they can’t get attention positively, they’ll get it negatively.
• All powerful behavior serves a purpose
• If you have the first word, your child will have to have the last word.

TEN POWER POINTS from Dr. Leman next Tuesday.