Note from Tina: I am a mom of six adult children, one of whom (who will remain anonymous) from the time she was small was quite, shall we say, strong-minded. She knew what she wanted, and was determined that she would have it. She didn’t push limits set by authority as much as she pushed for her way. Her sister, on the other hand, was the rule-keeper who made sure that she and all her siblings stayed in bounds.
Maybe your family is like mine and like that of the parent who recently asked this question of Chap Bettis. “I’ve got two young children. One is strong-willed, and the other is very sweet. I feel like I am correcting and disciplining the first one all the time. It feels out of proportion. Do you have any suggestions?” Click on the link to see his wise counsel.
Follow his advice and keep praying. There is so much grace and hope for Christian parents navigating the challenge of raising children with different God-given personalities! My strong-minded daughter gracefully used her talents to assert her way through a high-quality college degree and into the achievement of lifetime goals as an artist and entrepreneur. My compliant daughter is a gracious leader in her family and church, as well as in the path she chose for using her artistic gifts. Both of them are vessels of God’s grace to those around them, and they are my best friends.
