It has happened to all of us at one time or another: our child does “one of those things” that absolutely drives us crazy, and we wonder why?

Perhaps it was to stand at the head of the class on that first day of school and blatantly challenge the teacher. Perhaps we struggled in the kitchen for two hours preparing his favorite food only to get a reaction of crying at the table. We stand back puzzled and wonder if there is something wrong with our child.
When we discuss this with other parents we discover that they too share this dilemma. Is it a children’s conspiracy to drive us crazy, or as Bill Cosby comically refers to it, is it “brain damage”? Whatever it is, they have it and they are making us catch it in the process!

What we are witnessing is a natural unveiling of both the child’s individuality and inherited nature. Beginning to show itself between the ages of five to seven and then more clearly between the seventh and fourteenth year, it is the building block of your child’s behavior for all later years. It is not craziness, conspiracy, or brain damage. It is not a defiant act or pure rebellion. It is not happening only to you or your child. It is happening everywhere, to everyone. What we are dealing with here is your child’s temperament. (more…)