This profile provides important new insights to help you connect with your child and build the healthiest, most fulfilling relationship possible.

Strategic Problem Solvers… 

tend to be independent, strong-willed and competitive. Their thirst for knowledge and love of learning drives them to excel and often results in their being high achievers.  

Their thought process can be complex and they “connect most dots” quite easily. As a result, they love to – and are usually gifted at – figuring things out. 

Strategic Problem Solvers can be challenging to parent because they often like to argue or “push back” – especially when something doesn’t make sense or seem fair to them. They don’t do this to be difficult. It’s simply the way they learn best. Providing a logical answer usually goes a long way to gaining their “buy-in”.

Because they’re driven to excel, they’re usually good at whatever interests them, but can become bored if they’re not adequately challenged. 

They usually come across as confident and self-assured, but may also appear somewhat aloof, and may not show affection easily – even to the people they care about most.

Potential Vulnerabilities

Research shows that Strategic Problem Solvers may have a lower-than-average risk of developing anxiety and depression and may be less susceptible to bullying and other negative online behavior by others. But every individual is unique. Therefore, this does not mean that your child is necessarily at increased or decreased risk.

How to nurture your child  

“Meet your child where they are.” Great advice: easy to give, and much harder to do! Stretching outside of one’s comfort zone is hard and may take practice, especially when the parent’s and child’s personality types are very different. 

But it is no less important than making sure your child is safe, clothed, or fed and may be more critical to protecting their mental health and promoting their well-being. We all have gifts that make us special and for which we want and need to be appreciated. 

Your Strategic Problem Solver child’s…

greatest gift is likely their quick and agile mind, intellectual curiosity, and the ability to be logical, objective and object and to quickly grasp complex ideas and concepts. Recognizing and appreciating these as some of your child’s “superpowers” lets them know that you really see them and love them for who they are. 

It’s not unusual for one parent to be naturally better at having conversations that involve emotions. If this is the case, the parent who is less comfortable can learn to communicate more effectively by watching and listening to how the other parent interacts with their child. 

Your Strategic Problem Solver…

child may not be very in touch with how they feel about things, or be comfortable sharing their feelings. This does not mean that they don’t have big feelings, or need their parents’ help to deal with them. Balancing these two things can be a challenge for parents. The most effective way to get them to open up to you is to approach them calmly, and slowly, explaining that it’s normal for everyone to feel angry, sad or scared sometimes, and that it usually helps when you talk about it. Reassure them that you’re not going to judge them. And since processing emotions does not come naturally to them, proceed slowl