So you’re raising a feisty spitfire? Cool!

 

Julia was a spitfire. When she was a tyke, she was ready to take the world by storm. All who knew her mom, Maggie, knew of this little one’s intensity. Creativity, exuberance, a ferocious snuggle instinct, and excellent vocabulary were sometimes difficult to enjoy amidst defiance, meltdowns, sleep issues, and definitely a plan for how she wanted to run the family, even as a pre-schooler.

Maggie wrote, “Julia, you are a little firecracker. You know what you want and how you want it done, and have always been able to communicate that.” Maggie, also a horse trainer, carefully navigated how to train this feisty “filly” in a way that captured her heart and didn’t break her spirit. It wasn’t always easy, to be sure.

Her mom recently wrote to her daughter on her fifth birthday: “I just wanted to take this chance to tell you that many people hope to someday meet their hero. I’m lucky, I gave birth to mine. You face all the challenges in your path with a resiliency that I cannot fathom. I am in awe of you. One of my teachers says, “The hotter the fire, the stronger the steel” and I think that is true for you. You are facing immense challenges, and you are overcoming them. God made you an overcomer!”At age four, Julia faced a challenge that could have broken her spirit – leukemia. But that intensity served her well in facing this intense challenge.

So the point of this short tip is – If you are raising a feisty spitfire – cool! Be aware that their intensity just may be the raw material to overcome something significant and impact the lives of many people in the process.

When you parent from a vision for how God can use the life of your intense child, it gives a passion for guiding and developing, instead of opposing and controlling. It’s holy work.

What’s your vision for parenting your intense child?

Want help implementing these principles with your family? Read more and contact us about our coaching options!