Discover the joy and challenges of raising up wild things with love, patience, and guidance for spirited kids.
If you’ve ever found yourself chasing your child through a grocery store, while other parents see a mix of sympathy and relief that it’s not their trip this time, welcome , you’re in the right place. Parents are not for the heart to faint, but to raise wild things? This is a new level of adventure work.
When I say “wild things,” I don’t mean they are children who are “bad” or “out of control.” I mean enthusiastic, curious, small ,will ,power small people who see the world as the playground and believe that rules are more similar. Suggestions. Raising wild things means going into the role of guides, cheerleaders, border seats and sometimes judgments to maintain his holiness.
This journey has not always been clean or easy for me. In fact, for a few days, it is absolutely messy. But as I have discovered, it is one of the most beneficial (and yes, boring) experiences that must introduce life. And in this article I will share what I have learned, the struggles I have met, and the beauty I have discovered in this wild trip with parenthood.
What You'll Discover:
What does “grow wild things”?
This phrase can remind you how things are, a classic children’s book celebrating imagination and freedom. But in real life, it is to increase wild things about nourishing children who do not fit nicely in boxes.
They are about to climb furniture instead of quietly painting.
When you get out of the answers, they ask “why” a hundred times.
They are fearless in the playground, but put on socks.
In the core it is about growing up children with great personalities, infinite curiosity and sometimes powerful energy ,children who test your patience, but also expand your heart in ways you have never thought possible.
My journey to increase wild things
Let me tell you a little story.
When my oldest child was a child, I remember that one morning he was found to walk in our living room and stood on top of the couch, the robe tied around his shoulders and shouted, “I’ll fly!” My first idea? Oh no, hospital bills. My second idea? This child has no fear.
Set the tone of what parents will look like in my house that day. My kids were not happy to sit still and paint inside the lines. They wanted to paint on the walls, create forts from the sofa cushions, and made everything wrong with a magnificent adventure.
First of all, I felt like I failed as parents. Why didn’t I find them to “behave” like other children? But over time I realized that I do not pick up small robots. I picked up wild things , imagination, soul and flexibility. And maybe my job wasn’t to dampen them, but to guide them.
Why lifting wild things is a gift (although boring)
Let’s be honest , it’s not always sunlight and rainbows. Spiral children can dry you physically and emotionally. But here is the case: would children often develop in some of the most emotional, creative and prescribed adults.
Management ability: Children who push boundaries today often become leaders.
Creativity and problem solving: Wild things see the world differently and find solutions that most adults will never consider.
Authenticity: They refuse to be other than themselves, which is rare and valuable in a world full of cheating.
Yes, they can now take you to the wall, but one day the same symptoms will be their superpower.
Challenges to increase wild things
Of course, every rose has thorns, and growing enthusiasts come with unique conflicts.
1. Infinite energy
Sometimes it looks like they are run by some mysterious internal batteries that never run. At bedtime? Start of just two.
2. Slide the boundaries
Rules have been tested, right? Spirited children like to see how far you can push before pushing back.
3. Big feelings
Would things feel deep? For a moment they laugh hysterically; Then they cry as their world.
4. Decision from others
We are all there , the advice of “accessories” from strangers in the eye or shops of the playground sideways. This can make you doubt yourself, even when you do your best.
Practical suggestions to increase wild things
Here I want to be real with you: I don’t have a magical formula. But I have learned some strategies that make the chaos a little more manageable.
1. Determine boundaries with love
Wild things require structure, but must also feel honored. Think of boundaries like a jumping palace wall , firm enough to keep them safe, flexible enough to be fun for them.
2. Their energy channel
Instead of trying to suppress your energy, you redirect it. Sports, art, music, outdoor games , this can be a healthy outlet for their wild side.
3. Raise your battle
It is not worth dying on each hill. If unsettled socks make them happy, let it go. Save your energy for the fight that really matters.
4. Encourage freedom
Spirited children want autonomy. Let them make small decisions like what to wear or what to eat. This helps them feel strong without derailing the day.
5. Take care
This can be the most important thing. You can’t add an empty cup. Relax when you can, when you need it, ask for help and grace yourself.
I have learned lessons of my wild things
Here’s a beautiful part: Rising Wild Kids teach you (if not more) as much as you teach them.
Patience: You learn to breathe through chaos and raise back after degradation (of them and you).
Flexibility: You realize that plans are just suggestions and sometimes it’s the best part.
Happiness in small things: Wild children have a way of making everyday moments magical , a stick becomes a sword, a puddle becomes a world of opportunities.
They remind you that you should live in the moment and laugh more, and stop taking life so seriously.
Common misunderstanding about raising wild children
“They are undisciplined.”
No. Spirited children are not bad; They simply require different approaches to discipline.
“They will grow out of it.”
Truth? They will grow with it. Their energy and soul will mature, but it does not disappear (and you do not want it).
“This is for the sake of parents.”
It kills a sting. Wildness is not a sign of bad parents. Leading the leading children actually leads to more creativity and strength than most people.
Promise wild things in a modern world
In today’s world, accepting the plan, screen and frequent presses, increasing things can make it feel like swimming upwards. But perhaps what the world really needs , children who are unexpectedly questioning the status quo, who dare to dream big.
And maybe, just, the real gift of lifting wild things is that they teach us to remember their own wild side , one of the parts that once flying hats, mud and firefighters, believed in the last sleeping time while chasing the fire flights.
Key Takings
- Therefore, no matter what I have learned here, I have learned more than washing more clothes than washing: Lifting wild things is not about taming children in the right small versions of society. This is about guiding them, protecting the sparks and teaching them how to use their wildness.
- Yes, it’s hard. Yes, it can feel isolated many times. But it is also beautiful, transformative and worth every moment.
- If you pick wild things, take it from the heart: you are not alone. You are part of a tribe of parents as soon as we walk, stumble, laugh, cry and celebrate the joy of raising children who can only change the world. And maybe, it may be, we want to feel in such a way that we when we lift them, looking for some wildness again within ourselves.
Additional Resources
- Helping Your Spirited Child to Thrive – Without the Power Struggles: Compassion-based strategies to avoid constant battles and build mutual respect with strong-willed kids.
