Dealing with a stubborn kid is always a challenge for parents. If you’re a parent of a stubborn toddler, here are some tips to handle their stubbornness.

Connect with your little one

Initiate a two-way communication with your child. If you want your child to listen to you, be prepared to listen to them first. Stubborn kids may have strong opinions and tend to argue. For example, if your child is throwing a tantrum to finish their dinner, then do not force your child for the same. Instead, ask them why they don’t want to eat and listen – one more possible reason could be because they are playful or having a tummy ache.

Give them options

When you want your child to do something, give them an opportunity to make a choice. This would make them feel important and eager to complete the task. For example, while having lunch, you can ask them to choose parathas or chapattis; what she would like to eat. Offering two choices at a time helps toddlers understand and accept limits, they learn to value what they get and also learn to develop self-control.

Stay calm

It’s vitally important to stay calm and not lose temper while facing the stubborn behavior of your child. At times when your child is displaying difficult behavior, don’t try to argue or explain things to them. Also, don’t walk away either, as this would leave them in control of the situation. Don’t let your feelings and emotions be influenced by your child’s behavior to be able to take charge of the situation.

Work with them

Stubborn children are highly sensitive on how they are being treated. So be watchful of the tone of your speech, body language, and vocabulary you are using in front of your child. When they are not comfortable with your behavior, they do what they know best to protect them and start showing aggression. Use fun activities to make your child do something. For example, if you want your child to put their toys away, start doing it yourself and ask them to be your “special helper”.

Understand the child’s perspective

To better understand the behavior of your stubborn child’s, try to look at the situation from their point of view. Put yourself in your child’s shoes and then try to visualize what they must be going through for behaving that way. The more you know your kid, the better you can deal with their stubbornness. For Example, if your child doesn’t want to do the homework, you can divide it into smaller tasks and then they can perform it easily. You can give them one or two minute breaks in between the tasks to make the tasks less stressful.

Having a stubborn kid is not a bad thing. In fact, it has been seen that kids who have these characteristics often turn out to be achievers in academics and also in their professional life. They are less open to giving in to peer pressure which actually helps them to steer clear of wrong things that their friends might be into. It’s very important to practice effective discipline and your child can turn into responsible adults and strong-willed.