This is how Sheedy Kurcinka defines a spirited child: “More intense, persistent, sensitive, perceptive and uncomfortable with change than other children.” There is never a dull moment with this kind of kid. They are often, in fact, beyond-their-years brilliant.

Here are the most common traits of the Spirited Child:

1. 1 – Spirited kids are Super Early to rise.
2. 2 – Spirited kids have crazy perseverance.
3. 3 – Spirited Children wake in the night.
4. 4 – Spirited Kids have large emotions.
5. 5 – Spirited Kids want to do it all.
6. 6 – They don’t transition well.
7. 7 – Spirited kids need a schedule.

My first son wasn’t much older than two when I figured it out: he’s what they call “high-spirited.” A high-spirited child is just a little… extra, in almost all the ways they can be: more intense, more persistent, more sensitive, more energetic, and more perceptive than their peers.

Best Strategies For Parenting A Spirited Child

1. Establish a routine and stick to it.
2. Parent proactively by setting expectations and giving warnings.
3. Use discipline that makes sense.
4. Avoid punishment.
5. When your child is having difficulty with self-regulation, hold them close and empathize.

There are gifted children who are ‘spirited’ and are overwhelming in their intensity and energy. There are gifted children who are ‘sensitive’ emotionally or physically and may easily have their feelings hurt or find certain articles of clothing painful to wear. Some are gifted socially and are great leaders.

Enhance your purchase

1. understand your child’s—and your own—temperamental traits.
2. discover the power of positive—rather than negative—labels.
3. cope with the tantrums and power struggles when they do occur.
4. plan for success with a simple four-step program.

Spirited babies do better with a consistent bedtime routine. You may begin with a bath and then change your baby into their pajamas, or give them a gentle massage, read a story, and sing a song. However you choose to do your bedtime routine, make sure it is completed within about 20 to 30 minutes.

Most spirited children are not hyperactive, nor have they been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder or any other developmental disorder. They are normal kids with limitless energy and an astounding capacity for exhausting those who live with them.

By definition, a free-spirit is “a person with a highly individual or unique attitude, lifestyle, or imagination.” After having our firstborn son, we thought we had it made for when our daughter, child #2, would arrive. While our firstborn was a “rule-follower”, our daughter was a “free-spirit”.

Here are some strategies that can help put an end to bedtime behavior problems fast.

1. Establish Bedtime Rules.
2. Create Healthy Bedtime Habits.
3. Problem-Solve Issues Together.
4. Shape Your Child’s Behavior When Necessary.
5. Respond to Behavior Problems Consistently.
6. Reward Good Behavior.
7. Seek Professional Help When Necessary.

When children are in an out-of-control rage, gently but firmly hold them to prevent them from harming themselves or others. Use just enough force to restrain them safely. Speak in a reassuring, calm voice. Release them as soon as the aggressive behavior ceases.

The spirited child is not exactly an official DSM V diagnosis — indirectly, perhaps, one can file it under temperamental development. But the term itself is elusive in the DSM V manual.