According to Dr Phil, each child has tendencies, resistances and temperaments that are distinctly theirs. Because of this uniqueness, each child should be treated as an individual. Even children within a family should be treated as the individuals that they are.

All the children with a given family should not be treated exactly the same way. Each child should be parented as the individual that he or she is. The child's unique personality and learning style should be considered when parenting that child.

Dr Phil ask's you to consider your parenting style and then asks you adapt your parenting style to suit your child's type so that your child is being parented in a way that best suits his or her personality and learning style.

He groups your child's type into these three groups:

Rebellious

A rebellious child will seek power in the family in different ways such as misbehaving, causing high drama, catastrophizing and doing things that will get him or her attention. Rebellious children like being noticed and feel important when they feel that they are in control.

They like to draw parents into battle; doing battle with their parents make them feel powerful and influential over the parents. These children will be combative in nature towards their parents and any authority the parents try to assert over the child.

Rebellious children do not like too many rules. If they feel that there are too many rules, they will simply disregard them.

Cooperative

Cooperative children like to share power and want to be involved in the family's decision making and problem solving. They like to be given responsibilities and like to have their parent very much involved in their lives.

They like to have and feel collaborative with the family. They want to have their voice heard within the family. They want your praise and your encouragement.

Cooperative children need and want you to work with them. Do tell them what to do and leave them to it own their own. They want to share and do things with you.

Passive

A passive child needs a parent to guide, direct and tell him or her what to do. Passive children respond very well to the direct approach. Give this child a plan or a check list and go over it point by point, step by step. Explain how to it, when to it and why it should be done and they will have great success.

Passive children can also be shy or timid and don't want to jump into new and unknown things eagerly and easily. Introduce new things or ideas over a period of time and allow them to get comfortable with things over time.

Passive children need to have structure and predictability in their lives in order for them to feel secure.