Joan sat in her Monday morning mother’s support group frustrated.  “I just can’t seem to get control of my little boy.  He terrors through the house like Taz from the Looney Tunes.  He acts like a two-year-old.” She placed her hands in her face and started crying. “How old is your son?” Someone asked.  “He’s two.”

  We are familiar with the phrase “act your age”.  Often as parents we forget that our kids fall into this category.  How wonderful it would be for them to pop out of the womb with a certain level of sophistication and maturity, “mother may I assist you with preparing dinner?” However, think of the timeless memories lost and not experienced or lessons learned.
 
  In training children in the path they should go, we must understand the nature of childhood.  How do children view the world?  Do kids have fears, goals and needs? Let’s take a look at your child through his eyes.

No Control
  Johnny is a newborn and without the help of another he will die.  His total dependence is based upon outside factors that he has no control over.  What a helpless feeling!  Suddenly Johnny realizes, crying brings everybody running.  So when he’s hungry, he cries.  When his diaper is soaked, he cries.  He has taken his first step in gaining control of the world around him. 

  In a nutshell it’s the same for us as adults.  We build confidence and gain a sense of power when we control our world.  We feel safe and secure.  This control comes in two types, a positive need for confidence or a negative drive for power. Just like adults children have to develop a sense of confidence in order to be emotionally healthy.  For the child or adult who turns out to be a demanding tyrant the problem lies in an unchecked drive for power

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