[Romeo Void]

I have one. He's 4 and has been like this since he started walking at 7mo, he never really bothered with crawling. His first trip to emergency happened a few weeks later when he fell onto a corner and opened his eyebrow. Within a month he was crawling over the back of the couch and by 2 I lived in terror of him getting out of the house as he could scale the fence around our yard, he thought it was a great joke to get out onto the street. He climbs EVERYTHING. Today he terrified an onlooker when he decided to shimmy up a pole in a shopping centre (I had my back the other way).

I'm exhausted. Not just the climbing, but the pushing pushing PUSHING. Everything is a challenge to him. If I ask him to put his shoes on he delays, he watches my reaction and seems to pull up a millisecond before I go off my head. 1-2-3? With him it's always at the last possible second of 3. A girlfriend of mine (who I have coffee with in the mornings) has said she watches his interactions with me and it's as if he's playing with me. At times he'll set up some sort of scenario where I nearly have a heart-attach when I finally spot him, he'll wait in whatever scenario he's set up for ages. It's all directed at me! But he's a total mummies boy, if he's sick or scared it's my arms he runs too.

He exhausts me.

[suzanne-j]

My second born is a 'spirited child' (or 'high needs' as the pead put it). He's been like this since his birth.

I was transferred to a Mother Baby Unit in Melbourne for treatment when he was about 3 weeks old and the management had to put extra staff on shift to help deal with my little man as he was such a hand full even then.

He's just started to throw the classic temper tantrum by throwing himself head first to the floor and screaming blue murder. This is a bit trying for me as I’ve never experienced it before with my older child and I’m not sure how you deal with it in a one year old!

It’s taken me quite some time to recognise and accept that my little fella is just an intense and highly sensitive little person and I’m going to have to adapt to him rather than try to squeeze him in to the mould I might like to have for him.

I think this thread is a great idea – it can be quite lonely having a spirited child. So much judgement to cope with, so many headaches, so much angst. But I think this group will also be good to see the bright side to having a spirited child.

[vixen11]

Hi there, I have one too. She's 9 and has been HARD work her whole life.
Intensity - over the top reations to everything. Still having tantrums. Also intensely loving
Persistence - won't give up - nags and nags when she want something
Sensitivity - clothing labels itch, very strong sense of smell, picky eater etc, extremely emotionally sensitive too.
Perceptiveness - this is probably the only one she isnt'
Adaptability - must be given warning of events or changes or all hell breaks loose
Regularity - hungry at odds times, doesn't sleep much
Energy - hyperactive
First reaction - always NO to almost everything
Mood - up and down and intense

I have read the book and it fits her perfectly. That said she has just been diagnosed ADHD which makes perfect sense too.
One thing her psychologist has said is that the world needs ADHD people (and spirited people too) so managed well she can be a great person.
Good luck to us all!!!

[Flaxen]

I think mine is a spirited child. She is only 18mths, but is full on all day.

Took her to playgroup and I always gets comments about how much work she is.

Yes, all other babies look like sleepy zombies to me, she is alert, focussed and intense in everything she does! Glad to know there is a group with the same sort of kids!

[Fire_fly]

I am so glad I have found this group. My daughter is 2.5yrs and spirited.

She is so strong willed and intense.

She has issues with personal space (doesn't like stranger entering hers) and will sit back and analyze the situation before entering or engaging, however she is most definatly not shy.

She is very sensitive with clothing and injuries and is such a drama queen!

She isn't regular in anything she does, be it eating, sleeping etc... I have no idea where the energy comes from.

What I am having most difficulty with at the moment is dealing with other children on play dates. One in particular doesn't understand personal space which sets my daughter off. Her mother doesn't see anything wrong because her child is trying to be nice and that's socially acceptable where as needing space when it all gets to much isn't.

I am at the point where I try and only catch up with the mum when it's Kindy day!

This post has been edited by Fire_fly: 18/08/2012, 06:15 PM