Article by Laura Gutierrez, MA Power struggles occur when grown-ups inappropriately attempt to control children or when children seek control beyond their age and ability. What you probably do not know is that the need for power and attention are both universal and wired into our biological makeup from birth. Your children have an attention bucket and power bucket that needs to be filled out daily in positive age […]
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Power Struggles and Parenting
Tuesday, September 29th, 2020Power Struggles: Avoiding Power Struggles with Your Children
Monday, June 7th, 2004All parents face resistance and struggles for power with their children. It all starts generally with the two-year-old and the frequent “no” and “mine” that we hear. Passive resistance in the form of ignoring our requests can also trigger power struggles. As frustrating as these situations can be, power struggles are not necessarily a sign of a troubled or defiant child or adolescent, as children often vie for power as a part of the developmental process. These struggles can intensify however, depending on the child’s temperament, activity level and the level of stress in the family. It is up to us as parents to learn to stay calm and creatively disengage from the struggle. If you have children, you know that there are many opportunities for power struggles. Fortunately, there are things you can do to prevent some of these from occurring.
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