The most important thing that you can do to get your child to comply with your wishes is to build up your relationship.
Children have a natural desire to please their parents. This is true when they are young and it is also true when they become teenagers. Even adults have a need and desire to gain approval from their parents.
You can use what nature has given you as a way to help your child to do what you ask.
Now, if children want so much to have their parents’ approval, why is it that so many of them just won’t listen?
The reason is that other factors get in the way. For an ODD or difficult child probably the biggest reason they defy adults is that they resent the subordination they feel toward the adult. They just don’t want to be dominated by anyone and they won’t take orders no matter how much sense it makes and even if it is for their own benefit.
For an ODD child, the issue is who is in control, and almost everything else is secondary.
With such a child, getting them to obey is a major task. You can’t make them do anything. The more you try, the more they will fight you.
So how do you get such a child to listen to you?

You can’t force your ODD child to obey you. But you can get your ODD child to want to obey you.
You do this proactively, by developing and using your relationship.
Developing and strengthening a positive relationship with your child has numerous benefits:
- You will be happier
- Your child will be happier
- You will enjoy your time together much more
- You will reduce the amount of fighting and arguing
- Your child will be much less likely to get into serious trouble.
Get ADHD and ODD Child Behavior Help for children 2-11 |
Over the next few weeks we will be discussing a number of things you can do that will help you get your child to cooperate with you and build your relationship.
However, if these ideas make sense to you there are some steps you can take now immediately. We have created a number of resources for you to help you with your challenging children.
If your child is defiant and you want to know techniques you can use to help him:
Go to:
ODD Child Program for children 2-11, or
ODD Teen Program for teens 12 and older
If you want to make your consequences and discipline effective
Go to:
If you want an easy to understand step-by-step method to eliminate disrespect, defiant behavior, talking back, tantrums and transform your child into a loving respectful son or daughter, then:
For children 2-11 go to: How to Improve Your Child’s Behavior
For teens 12 and older go to: Complete Connection Parenting Teen Program
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Thanks for the clear and valuable information. Although my children are adults now and we have survived all those difficult years, I’m dealing with some difficult students at the moment so I will continue to follow with interest.