butterfliesI just read a really lovely birthday ode "I Know Who You Are," written by Motherhood Uncensored for her daughter. She says, "Parenting is not knowing who you think they should be. It's intimately and sometimes uncomfortably knowing who they really are."

So true. And so tough. 

“Every child is born with a particular temperament, which doesn’t change, only evolves,” Betsy Brown Braun, author of You’re Not the Boss of Me, tells Working Mother magazine. “From day one, it’s your job to get to know your children; it’s not their job to get to know you."

Knowing them can be tricky if you don’t “get" them. And how do you raise a kid who's the exact opposite of you?

Working Mother gives some great expert advice on the ways you can help your child thrive when your personalities don't mesh. Some of the opposite pairings covered include:

  1. SpongeBob vs. Zen Master
    Your child is high-spirited; you're laid-back.
  2. The Mess vs. Ms. Meticulous
    Your child is a slob; you're neat.
  3. The Jock vs. the Couch Potato
    Your child is athletic; you’re not.
  4. The Innie vs. the Outie
    Your child is an introvert; you’re an extrovert.
  5. Artsy Kid vs. All-Thumbs Mom
    Your child is artistic; you’re not.

Is your toddler the opposite of you or are you raising a mini me?


Image via Felix Francis/Flickr