I don't have trouble with authority. I know authority has to be in place, but you're not the boss of me.

You can't force me to do something. You can't force me to love you. Can't force me to respect you in the end. You't force me to do anything I figured that out at 18 months

you know they can open your mouth and they can put the peas in and they can force your mouth

close but they cannot force you to digest peace.

That's a humorous insight and that's from a self-proclaimed strong-willed child, now adult,

Cynthia Tobias, and she's with us to share her personal insights to help you

with your headstrong kids. This is Focus on the Family. I'm John Fuller and

your host is Focus President and author Jim Daly. I'm sure many of you can relate to what Cynthia is shared there.

It seems like every family has at least one strong-willed child

and I know we do. We've only got two so I'm not going to say who it is, but today we want to return to this popular program because Cynthia has such helpful insights on raising and disciplining strong-willed children. She's an expert and last time this

aired a mom named Amy from Kansas sent us a note and I want to read that whole

comment because it perfectly describes what we're about to hear.

She wrote,

Our first child is so strong-willed

and we're going crazy.

I heard your program with Cynthia Tobias

and I was sure that you had hidden cameras in our home.

Boy, that sounds like many of us, huh?

You described our child and parenting challenges.

This morning, we had a situation and I asked,

do you want us to be disappointed in your work?

And wow, it worked.

...