Some children are natural born bosses. They have a strong need to make decisions, manage their environment, and lead rather than follow. Stephen Jackson, a Year One  student, "operates under the theory of what's mine and what's yours is mine," says his  mother. "The other day I bought two new Star Wars light sabers . Later, I saw   Stephen with the two new ones while his brother was using the beat-up ones." " Examine the extended family, and you'll probably find a bossy grandparent, aunt, uncle or cousin in every generation. It's an _ says Russell Barkley, a  professor at the Medical University of South Carolina. Other children who may not be particularly bossy can gradually gain dominance  when they sense their   parents are weak, hesitant, or in disagreement with each other. Whether it's inborn nature or developed character at work, too much control in the   hands of the young isn't healthy for children or the family. Fear is at the root of a lot bossy behavior, says family psychologist John Taylor. Children, he says in his book   From Defiance to Cooperation, "have secret feelings of weakness" and "a desire to feel  safe." It's the parents' role to provide that protection. When a "boss child" doesn't learn limits at home, the stage is set for a host of troubles outside the family. The overly willful and unbending child may have trouble obeying teachers or coachers, for example, or trouble keeping friends. It can be pretty lonely as the top dog if no one likes your bossy ways. "I see more and more parents giving up their power," says Barkley, who has studied  bossy behavior for more than 30 years. They bend too far because they don't want to be  as strict as their own parents were. But they also feel less confident about their parenting  skills. Their kids, in turn, feel more anxious. The study on bossy behavior implies that parents   _  .
should give more power to their children should be strict with their children should not be so anxious about their children should not set limits for their children