Another spirited child!!

[joyinthejourney]

Just HAD to share, for all of you with one or more spirited children.... This is long, but interesting, for those of you who find personality traits interesting.

So, I've known since my son was 2 that he was different from most other kids. I was so thankful to find the book Raising Your Spirited Child by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka. It helped me so much with him. According to her scale, he scored 4 or 5 in every category except Regularity and Energy. He's very regular in his eating/sleeping/eliminating habits and is about a 3 in energy.

Well, guess who makes up for it?? Yep, my daughter. She's 5 1/2 and I'm finally realizing it. I've never thought of her as spirited because she's such a happy kid, isn't overly sensitive or intense, and adapts pretty easily to most situations, if given time to adjust. HOWEVER....after reading through parts of the book again, I realize she's very spirited in some ways that he's not, and they share a few. She scored 5 in Regularity, Energy, and Persistence, and 4 in First Reaction.

Therefore, I am blessed with TWO spirited children, AND--they make up for where the other lacks! No wonder I'm so tired!!

Really, though, I'm very thankful to have figured this out. I'm sure that re-reading the book will help me with her, the way it helped me with my son. I just wish I'd figured it out sooner. I guess I've been too busy figuring him out, all while coping with her high energy and irregularities. She never stops moving, is VERY persistent, still wakes up A LOT at night, and is never hungry when we eat (yet she's hungry all the rest of the day when we are not). She's also never been regular in the bathroom, bless her heart.

It's interesting, her First Reaction trait is expressed very differently than my son's, who also scored high there. His first reaction is to not try new things until he's watched several times. He's almost 8 and still refuses to try tying his shoes or riding a bike without training wheels. But, we know better than to push him--because, he's watching! And, one day, he'll just do it...and probably with great precision. He wouldn't color until he was about 4, and then he did it perfectly within the lines. His First Reaction is driven mostly by his perception and sensitivity.

My daughter, on the other hand, exhibits First Reaction traits by digging her heels in and refusing to jump in the pool at swim lessons, refusing to sit on the potty for poop during the potty training days, and hiding behind me and refusing to say hello when she first meets certain people. She's not even shy--she's an extrovert social butterfly! So, it was easy for me to think it was all an act. But, it's just her natural first reaction to some things. If she's supported instead of pushed, she will eventually join in. In fact, for adaptability, I gave her a 2, because if it's not something she feels strongly about, she's the first little dare devil to try something new! With high energy! It can be very unpredictable (ahem...irregular) and scary at times. I never know if she's going to be more likely to jump out of a tree, or hide behind me for five minutes.

Anyone else have a spirited child with this combination (regularity, energy, persistence, and first reaction)?? Any experiences or tips you can share??






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