- by Karan Sims Most parents first experience their child’s
attempts at autonomy at about age two. They feel challenged and
often a battle of wills begins that lasts throughout childhood
and the teen years. Parents can turn these trying times into a
rewarding growth period for them and their children by shifting
their perspective concerning the child’s behavior and by
becoming clever and creative in responding to the child’s
perceived “headstrong, rebellious, stubborn, frustrating,
negative” behavior. Empowering not Overpowering Instead of
viewing children’s willful behavior as “bad” and reacting in a
way that overpowers the child, parents can view this behavior as
a healthy positive sign of their child’s development and find
ways to empower the child. From about the age of two, and at
differing intervals in the developmental process, children are
individuating from their parents and the world around them. This
includes making decisions for themselves, exerting their power
and will on persons and situations,