7 Key Truths to Effectively Parent a Bossy Child [Biblically]

“You are not the Mommy!”  This is an oft-repeated phrase at my house directed at bossy siblings.  Do you struggle with how to parent a bossy child too?

It began with my second daughter.  Her older big sister was being bossy and telling her what to do.  Her response – “You are not the mommy!” 

As much as she wanted to be  – she was not. She did not have that authority.  No matter how accurate her understanding of the family rules, it was not her place to enforce them.

Parenting a bossy child is an exercise in shaping character, theirs and yours. For Christian parents the quest to parent a bossy child needs to be grounded in the Bible. We don’t want to squash leadership but we do need to teach, and model, humility and service to others.

Discover 7 key truths to effectively parent a bossy child. Understanding and applying these truths will not only shape your child’s mindset but your mindset as well. Even parents, need to learn about humility and submission.

Bossy Truth#1 We ALL Have a Strong Desire to Control Others

Oh, how we long to control the actions of others.  We want to tell them what to do so that our lives are easier.  We know what rules we are expected to follow.

More importantly, we think the world will be fair and orderly if others have to follow those same rules as well.  If we have control over someone else, maybe we will have control over what happens to us. When we are attempting to parent a bossy child, we have to recognize this heart issue.

We desperately want control over our lives. Power over someone else gives us a sense of security that we are not at the bottom of the totem pole.

Truth #2 Parents Have Authority, Bossy Siblings Do Not

Siblings are not parents.  Scripture commands us to honor your father and mother.  It does not tell us to extend this same authority and position to siblings.

“When you boss your sister, you upset the natural order of things and it breaks your relationship with her.”

This is a phrase with which I have often admonished my eldest child.

I have used it a lot over the years.  Another mom had the privilege of witnessing the sister squabbles and my gentle rebuke to my eldest once again.

The fresh wisdom of the statement was a surprise to her, but seemed common sense to me.  God was gracious to me in giving me this insight early on with my little ones and their bossy siblings.

Faithfully seeking to parent a bossy child can be exhausting at times. Do not give up in seeking to shape their hearts. God can transform their bossyness into leadership!

Related Reading: 5 Ways to Model for Teens How to Honor your Father and Mother

Truth #3 Bossy Kids Need to Recognize Order & Authority

Our God is a God of order.  We live in a world where honor and authority are looked down on.  It is not so in the Kingdom of God. 

We see in scripture the structure that God has created for how we are to live.  God creates the basic unit of a family – a mother and a father who are to be honored. 

This is a new unit.  No longer bound to their parents but in marriage, they cleave to one another. 

Children are admonished to honor their parents.  Husbands are told to love their wives.  Wives are told to respect their husbands.  A mother has authority over her children, but she is also subject to the authority of her husband as the head of the household.

We see this order in our churches.  In America, we struggle with our ideas of the structure of our government and how they influence the structure and authority of our churches.  

Whereas the biblical structure of the church is not a democracy, it is to be led by the overseers/elders and deacons.  We see more instructions on patterns of influence in that older women are to instruct younger women and older men are to teach younger men.  Also, there are even instructions on how younger men are to address older men.

We need to parent a bossy child to recognize their need to recognize order and authority. Children that do not learn how to obey and show respect can struggle not only in their relationships with others, but also in their relationship with God.

Truth #4 A Bossy Child NEEDS to Learn SUBMISSION to Authority

We are reminded in Galatians that there is neither male nor female, Greek nor Slave, etc. in the Kingdom of God.  There is radical equality that was amazing and profound for its time and for our time. 

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” – Galatians 3:28

At the same time, there is an emphasis on submission and authority.  Moreover, these ideas are not seen as competing ideas but complementary. It is challenging to parent a bossy child, but it is for their ultimate good that they must learn to submit to godly authority in their lives.

We don’t like being told what to do by people who are not in an authority position to command us.  “Who are you to tell me what to do?” 

A fellow citizen who points out our error will not be afforded the same respect as a police officer who speaks the same words.  In fact, we are likely to be angered that our neighbor stuck their nose in our business.

Bossy Child Truth #5 Don’t Ask Your Kids to Parent Their Siblings

For my sanity as a mom, I want my kids to get along.  Can I get an amen?  My ears grow tired some days listening to the silly squabbles that seem never to end.

More than that though, I want my children to be friends with one another.  Not only do I want to enjoy their company, but I also want them to enjoy one another’s company.  Certainly, bossing and bullying are not good building blocks for friendship.

As parents, we should not ask our children to be mini-parents to their siblings.  My daughter can babysit her brother, who is eight years her junior. 

However, the discipline she uses is not the same as a parent.  She will have to intentionally use more honey and persuasion in getting him to obey.  A sister cannot be the mom.  She has to be a loving big sister.

Truth #6 Do Not Speak With Authority Unless You Have It

They will imitate us in speaking with their siblings.  I have the authority to command, but my children do not.  I often have to point out to them how they need to modify how they speak to their siblings because they do not hear what they speak. 

A bossy child usually does not realize how bossy they sound. Children assume more kindness and persuasion than what was actually conveyed. Bossy kids need to be coached in how to speak to one another lovingly.

It is a challenge for me as a parent as well.  How do I instruct in ways that are firm and polite?  When I ask for something to be done, it might be posed as a question; however, it isn’t an optional thing.

Upsetting the natural order is absolutely part of the Devil’s playbook.  He will use that same tactic to upset the relationships in our families.

Authority belongs to the parents, not to the sibling.  One of the challenges that we see for the Devil, time and time again in scripture, is his longing for the things that belong to Christ.  Therefore, he is continually seeking to usurp the things that belong to Christ for himself. 

Related Reading: 7 Steps to Stop Sibling Name-Calling Biblically

Bossy Child Truth #7 Be Bossy Can Ruin Your Sibling Friendship

To ensure a healthy relationship between my children, it is vital that they deal with each other humbly as siblings of equal authority.  The differences in age will all fade in adulthood. 

Admonish your children to speak to one another as friends.  Advise them to plead and challenge one another as friends. 

“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

Ephesians 5:21 NIV

We cannot control other people. However, we can pray for them.  More importantly, we can model for them. 

When we seek to parent a bossy child, we must impress them with the truth that they only person they can control is themselves. Admonish them to be a sibling, not a parent – that is their right relationship.

---

The boy. The youngest.  He has added his own transformation to the phrase.  “You are not the daddy!” – He argued with me one day.  No, I am not, son, but trust me – I have Daddy’s authority to tell you what to do. 

A post on the importance of the united front of Moms & Dads on another day!