WHAT IF PARENTS ARE CONCERNED THAT SOME CHILDREN “ARE JUST BORN BRATS”?
Sometimes parents come to the conclusion that their child was born “bad.” While this is an undesirable description, keep in mind that it reveals the parents’ feelings of powerlessness, frustration, and confusion. Reviewing what was learned in Session 3 about temperament (both toddler’s and parent’s) can help parents to get perspective on why their child behaves in ways that are frustrating and/or challenging (e.g., intense negative reaction to new things and/or places). How we label our children has an impact on how we respond to them, so a discussion about positive reframing can be helpful (e.g., “stubborn” = “persistent” or “not a quitter” –see book “Raising Your Spirited Child”, Session 3 resource list, for more information and examples).
