Asserting oneself begins at birth. We parents quickly learn the difference between the loud, insistent screams our babies make and when they say, "I'm hungry, NOW" or, "Something really hurts!" Asserting oneself becomes all too evident during the toddler years when "Me do" and "No," provokes nods from adults as we mutter, "Ah, the terrible 2s."
This strong push toward independence, although it tries our patience, is generally understood to be a predictable part of growing up and we look forward to the next stage when the child insists on independence in more tolerable ways.
But what about a child like 4-year-old Sarah, who is so "nice" and so easily gives in to her friends? She lets another child grab the doll carriage she was playing with and doesn't hold on yelling "No," "Mine," or run to get the help of an adult. What about Vince who returns, uncomplaining, to building his block tower after two boys steal some of his blocks to build their own?
