Understanding Counter-Will in Children

There is nothing more frustrating and demoralizing for a parent than to give an order and have the child do the exact opposite. It triggers anger, doubt, and even fear of the child because mom and dad feel like they have lost control and that the kid is somehow in charge. Honoring one's parents is one of the most fundamental principles of Judaism; in fact it is one of the 10 commandments. So if the child is in a seemingly perpetual state of defiance, parents might wonder what kind of "monster" they have created.  

Click here to read the rest of this parenting blog over at chabad.org.