What is a spirited child? A spirited child is more intense, sensitive, perceptive, persistent, and energetic than most. I know this because she kind of gets it from me. And it’s this spiritedness that creates the so-called “terrible twos.” But your toddler isn’t terrible, they’re just becoming aware of their personalities. They might be experiencing a new feeling that they’ve never felt before, like frustration when trying to communicate. Sometimes we miss what they say and have no clue what they’re talking about in their baby talk. So, for me as a parent, I had to find more understanding and patience during this time in my daughter’s life.
The other day, my daughter did not want to sit in the bathtub. I could see it on her face — there was some reason that all of a sudden her favorite bath time was no longer fun for her. But what was it? For 3 or 4 days straight, she refused to sit down. So my husband and I did not force her, but instead would laugh and pour the water over her face and say, “You’re taking a shower today!”
Well, a few days before her bath time tantrums, she skinned her knees pretty good. When she would get in the bath, she would start saying “poop” and pointing down. We later realized she was actually saying “boo boo” and pointing to her knees, not her diaper.
We were so close with the word! But I noticed in her a persistence that would absolutely exhaust a parent. Stubborn, independent, strong willed, totally spirited. Once we were able to recognize why she was being so spirited, it all came together. After her “boo boo” healed, we had a happy baby sitting and splashing once again!
“These are individuals who have learned to understand themselves, to mange their strengths, and to minimize their weaknesses. They are normal. They are more than normal. They are spirited.”
Raising Your Spirited Child by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka
