Defiant kids. They can be the biggest challenge of parenting. Those of you who have a defiant child may be thinking there’s nothing you can do to discipline or help him. But this isn’t true. I have seen a number of defiant children in my pediatric practice over the years and I know they can be helped. They can improve. You just have to know how to handle them, discipline them, and love them.

I actually love defiant kids. You know why? Because they have a little spice. They don’t just go along with anything, and this means that they will be strong adults who make a difference one day. They won’t go with the flow just because everyone else is. They will have a strong will that will help them do what is right, rather than what everyone else is doing. But it is up to you, parents, to help your defiant child channel that strong will into something good and productive.

I recently hosted a Facebook Live chat all about defiant children. You can watch it here. Some parents wrote in some great questions about their struggles with their defiant child. I want to share a couple of those…