Handling a child who insists on having his way

No child wants to hear “no” when they ask for something and many usually respond with tantrums. How should you respond to your child when they react badly if they don’t get what they want? It is not uncommon for kids to make demands. In fact, it is a part of their growing process. But […]

No child wants to hear “no” when they ask for something and many usually respond with tantrums. How should you respond to your child when they react badly if they don’t get what they want?

It is not uncommon for kids to make demands. In fact, it is a part of their growing process. But sometimes when their demands are turned down, they throw tantrums, insisting that their demands are met or things are done their way.
Amy, a 5-year-old girl and the first child of her parents would never take “no” for an answer. While she was out with her dad and cousins one weekend, she asked her dad if she and her cousins could play on the merry-go-round. When her dad turned down her request, she began to ‘protest’ and insisted that she must go on the ride. Seeing that the tantrums were going out of control, he let her have her way. Why did the father let her have her way? How should he have handled the situation?
This made Lifextra seek the opinion of people to know how they would handle a child who insists on having his/her way all the time.
Afolayan Felix, who has teenage children, said it depends on the age of the child but that parents should not always resort to beating as a form of punishment, but rather advice and counsel the child.
Speaking to Lifextra, Hussein, an engineer, gave a two-fold answer “First of all, I will say having your way as a child in this part of the world is really difficult, especially when we were growing up.”
“Secondly, a child that wants to have his or her would have to present to me his/her so that I can guide him or her, otherwise…no way.”
Gwede Philip, who is married and also an engineer, said “Constant counseling is the best way to handle such a child, but at times, there’ll be punishments. But above all, praying for such a child will go a long way in solving the problem.”
Concurring with Philip, Dr. Emmanuel Nwusulor who quoted the popular phrase ‘’spare the rod and spoil the child”, stated that punishment is recommended in child training, but for the punishment to be effective, it should be used less often and be light and brief.
“Children wanting to have their way is a good reason why punishment should be applied, and it should be consistent. That is, it should be applied whenever that rebellious behaviour shows up until it is corrected, followed with assertive communication: “I am your parent, I mean well for you and I want you to have a good future. That’s why I won’t allow you to go astray, and I will continue to punish you until you do the right things.”
“A child is not an adult. A child has not reached the age of accountability so he/she should not be allowed to have their way,” he concluded.