quotes by dobson

Recently I pulled out all my strong-willed child books.  I decided to write down my favorite quotes as I go along. It's sure taking me a lot longer to read my books because I write down a line from pretty much every page! I thought I'd share some with you.

Here's a few from Dr. Dobson's "The Strong-Willed Child":

"Most parents have at least one such youngster who seems to be born with a clear idea of how he wants the world operated and an intolerance for those who disagree." p. 10
(Yep, that about sums her up!)

On the mindset of a strong-willed child:
"I don't think you're tough enough to make me obey." p. 14
(Yeah, see, I wasn't strong enough when I first had kids.  Now I am.  But she still tests me regularly to make sure!)

On how I feel parenting this strong-willed child:
"This discourse may offer a lighted runway to pilots who circle in the darkness above." p. 10
(Yay!  Hope!)

One of my biggest fears:
"Why I place such stress on the proper response to willful defiance during childhood, for that rebellion can plant the seeds of personal disaster." p. 18
(This is the reason why I will educate myself from a Biblical basis on how to raise a strong-willed child.  This world offers too many temptations and I am going to do my best to instill the morals that God would have me instill so that my strong-willed child will stand strong for God, not for the world.)

"The ultimate paradox of childhood is that boys and girls want to be led by their parents, but insist that their mothers and fathers earn the right to lead them." p. 18
(*sigh* I'm exhausted already.)

The best description I have heard by far!:
"They come into the world, smoking a cigar and yelling about the temperature in the delivery room and the incompetence of the nursing staff and the way things are run by the administrator of the hospital." p. 20
(Yep, pretty much.)

On choosing my battles:
"Choose carefully the matters which are worthy of confrontation, then accept his challenge on those issues and win decisively." p.24
(Some people may wonder why I let some issues go with my daughter.  This is why.  We could battle about everything, but then we would never get along.  I choose the matters that deal with the heart and go after those battles.  I care about her heart, not about how clean her room is or if she brushed her hair that morning or if her clothes match.)

And would you look at that: only up to page 24!  Such wisdom and perspective in just 24 pages!!  More to come, I'm sure.

Surviving (but sometimes just barely) by the grace of God,
KC