All children have minds of their own, hate to listen on occasion, and sometimes set out to make sure your life is as hard as possible. But there are others who take it a step further. If the phrase "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" isn't a far cry from the mantra that keeps you sane on a day to day basis, you may identify with these signs you're raising a strong willed child.
Lovingly referred to as "spirited," strong willed children actually have a lot going for them, despite the difficulties you face in parenting them. In fact, according to an article from The Washington Post, strong-willed child grow up to be self-motivated, great leaders, and are more "impervious to peer pressure." In fact, a recent study noted that children with these kind of behaviors often go on to achieve more than their more compliant peers.
In the moment though, when they're under your control, raising a strong willed child can seem like an impossible task. "No" is probably one of the most common words in the vocabulary, and even a simple task like picking up their toys must be done on their timeline or not at all.
Although you're the parent, and there is admittedly a huge difference between a child who simply is badly behaved and one who is strong willed, if these signs ring true, you're probably dealing with a spirited kiddo.