How To Raise a Spirited Child

You know the type: The kid who zooms around the playground, and then is inconsolable when it’s time to leave. She's ultra-aware of strong smells, bright lights or loud noises or focused on a single desire (be it chocolate milk or TV time), and unwilling (or unable) to just let it go. Then there's the general boucing off the walls, screaming, and relentless kinetic energy. Any of this sound familiar? If so (and many kids fit this description as least some of the time), you’ve got a “spirited” child. Also called “high needs,” these tots can test the skills of even the most patient parent (whoever that mythical creature may be). “Spirited children are normal kids who are more by their very nature,” says Mary Sheedy Kurcinka, author of Raising Your Spirited Child. “They’re intense, persistent, sensitive and energetic.” Got one? Here's expert advice on how to help your handful thrive – and how to save your sanity, too.



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