Living With A Temperamental Child

Hubby just commented this week how much more "stable" and "easy to manage" Beth has been lately.

Lest this makes my firstborn sound as if she were an out-of-control brat, let me hasten to add that she just happens to be a highly sensitive child with a strong artistic streak. She lives a rich life in her mind. She loves books, she loves drawing, she loves making things. She just doesn't necessarily want to share it with other people, so she can sometimes appear unsociable.

When she's not in the mood for company, she refuses to say hello or look people in the eye.

For an Asian parent accustomed to showing respect to one's elders, this can be particularly mortifying. I feel as if I have to constantly defend and apologize for her erratic behavior.

But Beth has her good days when she responds well to encouragement, hugs, and space. On Sunday, she shone at our church Give It A Go community concert, when she sang a solo for our family item.

I am learning to accept that she is the way she is, to go along with those things she responds positively to, and not to blame her or my parenting skills for every seeming departure from behavioral norms.