D, offers all parents a glimpse into what makes their children behave the way they do. Mary sheedy kurcinka is a bestselling author and internationally recognized lecturer and parent educator. Hes 17 now, and was a happy kid, but was too much for me to handle. The story about how i explained to my husband, family and friends that my child was high needs or spirited and required more from me and them. Offers a host of advice and strategies for successfully interacting with and disciplining your spirited child. My oldest former high needs baby is bright yes, every mother thinks their child is smart and brilliant.
Her books raising your spirited child, raising your spirited child workbook. Strongwilled or spirited children are those who want to have a sense of control over their life. If you are a parent of a spirited child you know the range of emotions these children bring out of you within hours, for it doesnt take an entire day to go from relaxedenergetic to stressedexhausted. Some of the traits that make high need babies more resistant to sleep training include. His books allowed me to have a light into my daughters temperment.
She is also the bestselling author of raising your spirited child workbook, sleepless in america, and kids, parents, and power struggles. I do feel one caveat should be addedsince i originally read the book, my son has been diagnosed with sensory integration dysfunction. If you have an intense child, you probably know it. And has not had a breastfeed in over eight years 2.
Momjunction tells you who classifies as a strongwilled child and how you can deal with him. Describes the characteristics of a highneed baby, suggests ways to soothe a fussy child, and discusses nutrition, discipline, and communication. If your child has certain temperamental traits, you may find yourself struggling to understand or change their behavior. As they grow older these children show their spirit in other ways, challenging their parents beyond what we ever thought possible. Mary sheedy kurcinka, raising your spirited child home facebook. Nurturing our spirited children the online resource for. The story of their own highneed child, hayden, is beautifully told in the fussy baby book. A guide for parents whose child is more intense, sensitive, perceptive, persistent and energetic this was a book that was recommended to me.
Strong willed children can be a challenge when theyre young, but if sensitively parented, they become terrific teens and young adults. I had done copious amounts of babysitting, including the baby next door starting when. A guide for parents whose child is more intense, sensitive, perceptive, persistent, energetic that title really sums it up nicely. Visit this page for a helpful list of characteristics of hn babies and spirited children. Kurcinka provides private consultations and workshops nationally and internationally for parents and for professionals serving families and children. Jul 22, 2019 if you think you are the only parent dealing with a strong willed child, you might be wrong. If your child has spunk and ambition beyond explanation, and you need to get a grasp on how to handle this strongwilled, sensitive kid, just read it. It is more difficult than people with non spirited children understand and many parenting techniques and strategies you will come across in other books simply will not work with the spirited child. You can find support for mothering your highneed baby or spirited child on gentle christian mothers. Spirited is the term first used by mary sheedy kurcinka in her book raising your spirited child. Raising a high need baby or child a quiet simple life. Patiently setting the limit and empathizing with our childs unhappiness is always more effective in teaching.
Through vivid examples and a refreshingly positive viewpoint, this invaluable guide offers parents emotional support and proven strategies for handling the toughest times. The highly sensitive child the highly sensitive person. Sears fussy baby book had yet to be published, but the baby book talked about high needs babies and that gave me some validation that this temperament. She is an awardwinning lecturer and parent educator. Toward the middle of haydens first year, we realized that parenting a high needs baby could have a better or worse effect on the husbandwife relationship. A highly sensitive child is one of the fifteen to twenty percent of children born with a nervous system that is highly aware and quick to react to everything. I get the feeling these children dont like to be controlled, either. When i was pregnant, the idea of parenting a child let only a high spirited child barely crossed my mind. I was reading article upon article on the musthaves for 36monthold brain development and sensory play.
Their focus is mostly on babies from birth through earlyschool, but the discipline book covers up to age 10. Apr 10, 2020 there are several foundational books on raising a high needs child. Many parents who come to sleep coaching have spirited babies and its not difficult to understand why they are having sleep difficulties. And sure youre doing everything all wrong because those parenting books other parents swear by just dont work for you. I am your guide and a fellow parent of spirited children. While the intensity of a spirited smart child is common and predictable, the degree of their reactivity is often misunderstood and mislabeled.
My suggestion is to get as much help as you can either relatives or hire a regular baby sitter, even if it is so you can take a nap. Expanded and revised edition, by stanley turecki and leslie tonner. Ten steps to a peaceful bedtime for your spirited child. Theyre brilliant and funny and energetic and creative and intense. Raising your spirited child, third edition paperback international edition, april 28, 2020. The best thing about this book, i think, was the validation that your child is a bit different, and is this way for a reason, and that is not a bad thing. My daughter amazes me with some of the stuff she can do. I know everyone says that having a baby is a challenge, but it truly was depressingly difficult. Parenting your high need child from birth to age five your fussy baby the fussy baby how to bring out the best in your high need child. Stanley turecki, and parenting the fussy baby and the high needs child by martha sears and dr. The key to successfully raising a spirited child, is to learn to understand them and work with them to manage their own intensity and use it to their own advantage. As a mom of three with two high needs children of my own, ive often felt isolated trying to.
Working at home with a spirited child lisa tanner writing. Havent read raising your spirited child, but i found playful parenting and loving your child isnt enough helpful for ideas on gaining cooperation in childrenthey arent specifically for high. Other terms include high needsfussy william sears, highly sensitive elaine aron, and activealert linda budd do they have difficulty going to sleepwaking up. Mary sheedy kurcinka, author of the bestselling book, raising your spirited child, to learn more on how to deal with the spirited child in your life. They each take a different perspective, but all are focused on helping parents, and their kids, understand whats driving the spiritedhighneeds childs behavior and how parents can work with their child to create and nurture a. Most of the sleep advice youll read in books seems more realistic for easy to average temperament babies. Sleep training a high need baby the fussy baby site. Voted one of the top twenty parenting books on amazon, this title is great for helping you see your spirited child in a more positive light and recognize that their spirited tendencies usually lead to very successful, able adults if you can survive their. Raising your spirited child at amazon offers a host of advice and strategies for successfully interacting with and disciplining your spirited child. Newly revised, featuring the most uptodate research.
Parenting your highneed child from birth to age five, by william and martha sears. I had done copious amounts of babysitting, including the baby next door starting when she was a. Is your child misbehaving or missing sleep have been translated into ten languages. The 8 best parenting books for willful and spirited kids. In this book, the author gives and indepth look into the different ways that some children are spirited, including intensity, persistence. The 8 best parenting books for willful and spirited kids modern. I had never realized that my son is a spirited child. If you are raising a spirited baby who fights sleep, then be prepared with a sleep plan that considers your childs sensory needs, a supportive sleep environment, appropriate timing and a kind but consistent response to behaviors. Parents of spirited babies also report that existing advice about sleep and behavior doesnt apply or work. Raising your spirited child by mary sheedy kurcinka, living with the alert active child by linda s. Living with your smart childs intensity drbarbaraklein. Our first year of parenting with a high need baby was difficult. Parenting gifted kids at amazon a helpful guide to understanding your gifted childs unique needs and abilities.
A guide for parents whose child is more intense, sensitive, perceptive, persistent. Is it sensory processing disorder spd or high needs. In raising your spirited child, third edition, parenting expert mary sheedy kurcinka, ed. It is a happy medium between parenting the fussy baby and high need child and dobsons the strongwilled child. This makes them quick to grasp subtle changes, prefer to reflect deeply before acting, and generally behave conscientiously. She wanted to give a positive name to the disposition that often receives perhaps more negative terms, such as strongwilled or highneeds. Selfmotivated and innerdirected, they go after what they want and are almost impervious to peer pressure. A spirited child is a child who, for whatever reason, may be difficult or challenging to deal with in a typical way. This will not cure your highneeds baby, but it will help you to retain your sanity until baby grows a little older. Other terms include high needs fussy william sears, highly sensitive elaine aron, and activealert linda budd. Children may experience tantrumming, explosive anger, temperment problems, or many other symptoms.
Parenting books you should read books on parenting spirited children. All toddlers say no too, but a spirited childs nos. A guide for parents whose child is more intense, sensitive, perceptive, persistent, and energetic kurcinka, mary sheedy on. I was reading article upon article on the musthaves for 36monthold brain development and sensory play, tummy time mats, babyled weaning and breast pumps. Raising your spirited child by mary sheedy kurcinka is a great book to read if you struggle with an emotionally. They each take a different perspective, but all are focused on helping parents, and their kids, understand whats driving the spirited high needs child s behavior and how parents can work with their child to create and nurture a positive, healthy, loving relationship.
This will not cure your high needs baby, but it will help you to retain your sanity until baby grows a little older. Find positive parenting strategies to parent your spirited child here get a free printable with tips for parenting a strongwilled child at the bottom of this post. Many of the spirited child characteristics are shared in spades by children with this disorder. They are like the little engine that couldif you gave the little engine that could a bunch of special coal and seventeen shots of espresso. If you have a high need baby, youve probably already figured this one out. Parents place has a number of different messagebulletin boards. Im wondering if there are any of these types of books for teenagers.
I have a friend who has a very high needs child and this approach has saved her sanity. Both share practical tools and resources for diagnosing and determining what your child needs in. Raising a high need infant, baby, toddler and child is challenging. She does paintings that belong in the high museum and i swear thats not just her mom talking. I really appreciate that this book focuses on specific areas that tend to be highconflict, like. The best strategies for parenting a spirited child parenting. There were times when martha risked burning out from over giving. Havent read raising your spirited child, but i found playful parenting and loving your child isnt enough helpful for ideas on gaining cooperation in childrenthey arent specifically for high needs kids, but the basic ideas are great.
High needs is a continuum, of course, but most high need babies tend to fall on the high end of the scale when it comes to these two traits. A guide for parents whose child is more intense, sensitive, perceptive, persistent, and energetic by mary sheedy kurcinka. I have been blessed to reach families across the country and the world though my books, workshops. They love to challenge rules and rebel if you dictate or give them an ultimatum. This book focuses specifically on toddler through elementary schoolaged children. They are also easily overwhelmed by high levels of stimulation. This book also made me feel like i am not failing as a parent that i just need to adjust my expectations and parenting style to fit my daughters needs. Mary sheedy kurcinka, parenting advice, author of raising your. Well, i guess im like the rest of them, he has an awesome sense of humour, is an amazing older brother and he as mentioned before is 100% independent and selfassured. You can find support for mothering your high need baby or spirited child on gentle christian mothers. Call them spirited, emotionally intense, difficult, high needs, or challengingit doesnt matter. The 9 traits of spirited babies moms with spirited little ones. Baby sleep and temperament sleephaven sleep consultation.
Books are written on the differences among children who are gifted, or on the autistic spectrum, or who have attention deficit disorder. Parenting gifted kids at amazon a helpful guide to understanding your gifted child s unique needs and abilities. So what happens when that attached, high needs, fussy baby. Definitions of a spirited child spirited child is a term coined by mary sheedy kurkinka who is an expert on the topic. Gentle christian mothers highneed and spirited children. Do you have a high energy, challenging, persistent child. If you are a parent of a spirited child you know the range of emotions these children bring out of you within hours, for it doesnt take an entire day to go from relaxedenergetic.
I wish i had seen this article and book when he was a child. There are several foundational books on raising a high needs child. Parents need to know why their child is so reactive. A guide for parents whose child is more intense, sensitive, perceptive, persistent, and energetic ebook written by mary sheedy kurcinka. The spirited child wants what they want, and they will stop at nothing to get it. The high needs infant listed under stages, then babys first year the high needs toddler listed under stages, then toddlers spirited kids listed under stages, then school age. Their perseverance perseveres, and keeps right on persevering. Sep 08, 2015 raising your spirited child, third edition. Raising a high need baby or child a quiet simple life with. High need babies are known for their sensitivity and intensity. As long as parents resist the impulse to break their will. Spirited children are so common in this society that there are several books on parenting such kids.
Raising your spirited child, by mary sheedy kurcinka. And sure youre doing everything all wrong because those parenting. If you have been doing your own research on the web or at your local bookstore, you may have already come across the book raising your spirited child by mary sheedy kurcinka. The best strategies for parenting a spirited child. Very often, spirited children tend to be sunny, friendly and creative, said new york child and family psychiatrist stanley turecki, coauthor. Eventually, our child learns that she doesnt always get what she wants, but she gets something better. I also went to a class at bananas for parents of spirited children and i found the advice they gave to be helpful. As a mom of three with two high needs children of my own, ive often felt isolated trying to understand and explain why.
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