Understanding Your Children

We are uniquely created by God. Isaiah 44:24 says, "Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb..." God molded uniquely, so our children have unique and different attitudes or personalities from us. It is important to understand these attitudes to help us motivate our children and
raise them to be the best that they can be.

You may have a spirited child or what is commonly referred to as difficult or strong-willed child. These kids exhibit great energy.  They are quick to understand and notice change and are uncomfortable with change. They are sensitive and persistent. Or you may have the extreme type - the easy one or the more predictable child who sees new experiences in a positive way.

A child’s reaction to his environment is strongly influenced by his temperament, his innate or unique quality. A difficult, strong-willed (and therefore challenging child to raise) child responds to his environment in a negative and intense way. As a baby, he can be described as a fussy infant. As a toddler, he is prone to temper tantrums and is difficult to please. Adapting poorly to changes and environment, these kids may have trouble adjusting in school. Be prepared to hear complaints from teachers or even parents as these kids will have difficulty adjusting in the new environment – classroom and school playground. If you have such a kid, it is very important to spend more time with him, explaining things to him and helping him adjust (slowly) to his new environment. Because of the tantrums that these kids have, you may get a stare from other parents and their classmates may not like them. It is at this stage that you need to teach your child the importance of the change. Your child must understand and agree that change is necessary for his growth, development and his future.

Children are blessings. But if you have an “easy”child, you have a blessing and a bonus. The easy child reacts to his environment in an easy manner. He has a positive mood and is calm. He easily adapts to a new environment so his first days in school will be a “walk in the park”. He is excited in his new environment and the new people that he meets. Like everyone else, he may encounter a frustrating situation but he would normally respond to it with very little anxiety.

It is important to understand your children and their temperament so you can choose the right words and motivation that will impact their life. In raising children you need to choose your words wisely as these growing years of these delicate ones play a vital role in what they will become in the future. As Frederick Douglass said, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”