(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4)

As I draw this series to a close, I want to take a look at using all of these positive discipline strategies that I have discussed throughout this series with “strong-willed children.”  All of the strategies from mindful modeling, setting up the environment, setting limits, and using natural and logical consequences, etc. all work with all children.  Some children may require a bit of creativity, but since all of these strategies are biblically based, they will work even with a “strong-willed” child.  In this brief conclusion to this series, I want to focus on using positive, grace filled, firm discipline with “strong-willed” children.

“Strong-Willed” Children—“Positive discipline doesn’t work for my children!”

As we know from Part 1 of “The Christian History of Spanking,” breaking children’s wills has been a theme throughout history of Christian pro-spankers even though there is no biblical support for parents to break their children’s wills.  Yet, even today, most Christian pro-spankers advocate the need to break children’s wills.  And having a “strong-willed” child is seen as a negative as that child’s parents must work even harder to break his or her will.  What these Christian pro-spankers fail to understand is that using physical punishment with “strong-willed” children actually makes these children even more angry and defiant.  Sadly, as we’ve seen throughout all my series, some of these children have died because the multiple spankings broke their bodies before their wills.

I believe that there is no difference between our wills and our spirits.  They are one and the same just as the Holy Spirit, Jesus, and God are one and the same.  God creates us with a will.  If God creates wills, then why would He want us to break the wills of children when they are discovering who they are and Who God is?  [Read more...]