My son was a very spirited child. He was determined to have his way regardless of the circumstances or punishments that we placed upon him. We did not believe in spanking so would give him time-outs or take away priviledges. This only incensed him more and he would become argumentative as he became older. Thinking we had over indulged him or were not parenting him correctly, we were pretty much at our wits end. I then stumbled across this book while visiting a client and asked if it were of any use to her. She has 3 children, one of which was of the same temperament as my son. She highly recommended the book and gave it to me to read. I implemented some of the steps and in a matter of weeks started to see changes in how we interacted with out son and his responses toward us. He is now facing the beginning stages of puberty, however, it isn't as difficult to handle and some of the techniques learned we are still applying. I would highly recommend this book to any parent who has a child displaying this temperment, don't think it is a miracle cure, but reading through it applying the information gleaned from the book will definitely save you from questioning your parenting skills as well as nights of frustration!

With raising my first child, I was in the frame of mind as to why would I need a parenting book. My first child, was easy, good natured, very helping and Mommies’ Angel Then I had my son, let’s say I cried because it was so hard for me. Everything was a struggle and he would quickly melt down when he didn’t have his way. My husband would indulge him, giving him whatever he wanted to make the tantrums stop, which only made the situation even more difficult. It formed a horrible habit for my son and the household was no longer peaceful we were at our wits end. After reading the book with my husband we noticed things we needed to change in the way we were handling things. Our house is now much more peaceful and although he still has an occasional melt down, we are better equipped to handle them. I will again borrow it from my local library to remind myself of the things I learned.

I first bought this book when my oldest daughter was just 3 years it old. It quickly became my favorite go to book for being a mom. I had no idea what a spirited child was and was intrigued. I also had no idea just how helpful this book would become. My daughter had several of the traits especially the bonus traits as the author calls them. Those are the traits that make raising a spirited child even more difficult. This book helped me to realize that I was not alone, there were other moms out there that went to bed each night wondering what to do and it also gave some wonderful insight on how to work with I had and to make things easier and happier around our house. Like with most self help books some of the book did not apply and you have to be able to take those and set them aside and really focus on what does. I highly recommend this book for anyone with a child that shies away from new situations, tends to over-react to the smallest things, and may be a bit hyper and especially parents of bright or gifted children! I am sure this book will be very helpful if for no other reason than to validate your feelings and help you move forward.

I read this book after buying it for my daughter who has two internationally adopted children. I purchased the book because it comes highly recommended by adoptive parents.

This is one book that all parents should read and keep handy for referencing whether their children are biological or adopted. It really confers with many issues that arise with raising strong willed children. It lets parents know and understand that they are not alone and that there are ways to handle the problems that arise. It really teaches the parents the importance of understanding the child’s temperament, and how using positive methods rather then negatives can make a huge difference.

For parents who are dealing with a child that is a tantrum thrower, this book can help you understand the best way to handle the child’s behavior, and how to curb tantrums and melt-downs before they happen, as well as what to do during and after the tantrum.

I highly recommend this book for all parents, as well as expecting parents, of both biological and adopted children.

Like the prior reviewer, I finally felt like I was not alone when I found this book. I originally found it at the library and had to buy it because I identified my child in this book. It didn't help me figure out what to do about my "sprited child" but it helped me see and accept and feel better about my spirited child. I recommend this book highly to any parent who feels like they are fighting an uphill battle with their child and don't know why it has to be so difficult.

After 2 congenial ("easy") children, our third was ruling our lives! My husband and I were at our wits end and read every parenting book about difficult kids around. This book was one of the first I found that hit the nail on the head! I realized that my son was more intense than I will ever be - in several areas at once. Kurcinka gives hope to the parents out there who aren't sure they will make it through the turbulence of raising this kind of child. For one thing, we see that we are not alone and that our struggles are in fact different than many parents around us. She outlines some strategies that will give parents some tools to work with before, during and after the tantrums and rages we face. I realized my son was not simply disobedient and stubborn. Once I realize he was "more" everything, it helped me cope and counteract some of his strong tendencies. It also helped us help him understand himself. I hadn't seen how hard this temperament was for my son. This book helped us go the distance with a child who did not fit into our even tempered family. I am happy and thankful to report, he is thriving and learning to control his intensity. Not everything in this book fits our situation or our parenting style, but it was a huge support to us and we learned a lot.

This book was a lifesaver for me. Not so much for the suggestions on raising a spirited child, but to let me know I was not alone in the world with a "spirited" child. Mary Sheedy Kurcinka can describe effortlessly the daily struggles of a child who is more sensitive, loud, and a child who is just MORE than all other children. It takes the term "difficult" as applied to a child, and changes the term to "spirited". It not only gives parents and children a more positive view of their daily struggles, but it also encourages the good behavior of a spirited child. It gives suggestions and desciptions for handling all kinds of different scenarios. I am not sure I completely agree with all of Kucinka's ideas and philosophies, nor do they all apply to my particular situation. However, it did let me know that I am not alone when it comes to having a child who is spirited.