The Number One Way to End Power Struggles - and It Works EVERY Time
Parenting

The Number One Way to End Power Struggles – and It Works EVERY Time

The Number One Way to End Power Struggles - and It Works EVERY Time

So I thought I’d add to the multitude of articles that I see in my news feed making the promise of a special technique to forever end parent-child power struggles. It seems that somehow they’ve all missed the extremely obvious and most simple way to do this, so I may as well point it out, right?

I rarely click on them anymore but I am pretty sure I can guess what most of them would contain. Techniques such as: giving kids a little power over unimportant things to satisfy them, distractions, or utilising their fun-loving nature by making things into a game.

What’s wrong with all of these things? Well, they focus on making things easier for the parent by placating the child instead of addressing what the real issue is. Hence, none of them are going to work for long, because kids aren’t stupid. They know when you’re just trying to appease them and they’ll get sick of those games before long. Then you’re back to square one. Locked in battle.

The Number One Way to End Power Struggles - and It Works EVERY Time

There is only one thing that can truly work, every time, without fail. I know, a big call right? But honestly, there’s no way for it NOT to work.

So, what’s the one way to end power struggles for good?

STOP STRUGGLING FOR POWER

That’s it.

Stop struggling for power!

You can’t struggle for power against yourself. If you stop trying to overpower your children then there can’t be any power struggles.

Power and control are actually not essential elements to the parent-child relationship. Seriously! You can ditch both of them right now. Exchange them for more peace, cooperation, and mutual respect in your home. Here’s how…

Change your perspective

“We might say it’s our job to be “in control,” in the sense of creating a healthy and safe environment, offering guidance, and setting limits—but it’s not our job to be “controlling,” in the sense of demanding absolute obedience or relying on pressure or continuous regulation. In fact, although it may sound paradoxical, we need to be in control of helping them to gain control over their own lives. The goal is empowerment rather than conformity, and the methods are respectful rather than coercive.” -Alfie Kohn

The Number One Way to End Power Struggles - and It Works EVERY Time

Mainstream parenting is based on a control and power dynamic. Parents are often told it is their job to control their children, to force them to ‘behave’, and to ‘teach them a lesson’. But think about it… healthy relationships don’t work that way, do they? We are told that parent-child relationships are a prototype for all future relationships, so we really should consider what we’re modelling.

In no other relationship would the same level of control be endorsed. In no other area of life would unthinking obedience be praised. Children are people, like anyone else. The rules don’t change because of age. This kind of relationship surely has the same negative effects on children as it does on adults.

“We’re unlikely to meet our long-term goals for our kids unless we’re ready to ask the following question: Is it possible that what I just did with them had more to do with my needs, my fears, and my own upbringing than with what’s really in their best interests?” -Alfie Kohn

Luckily, there is a better, more peaceful, more respectful way to relate to children. It requires moving from a ‘doing to’ perspective of parenting to a ‘working with’ mindset. You’re not trying to control your child, you’re trying to connect with them and live together peacefully. You strive to communicate authentically in a way that allows everyone to get their needs met, instead of simply (and ineffectively) trying to control another person so they do what you want.

I appreciate that this might be a really challenging concept! Especially if you’ve always been led to believe that children are untrustworthy, incapable, and needing of adult control. You might instantly fear bringing to life the old saying ‘give an inch and they’ll take a mile’. Images of your child morphing into your own little Veruca Salt might be running through your head. I encourage you to question your assumptions about children, and where they originated from.

The Number One Way to End Power Struggles - and It Works EVERY Time

In the end, no one can make another person do anything, and making parenting a fight cancels out much of the enjoyment. The truth is, parenting is not about control, but connection. Work on that and you will need no special techniques for ‘power struggles’.

“The level of cooperation parents get from their children is usually equal to the level of connection children feel with their parents.” Pam Leo

Hopefully you’re willing to make some changes and your mind is open to thinking about children in a different way. But what do you actually do? How do you stop struggling for power?

Give up these things

Control

“The dominant problem with parenting in our society isn’t permissiveness, but the fear of permissiveness. We’re so worried about spoiling kids that we often end up overcontrolling them.” -Alfie Kohn

In our society, we rationalise the use of unnecessary control over children by telling ourselves that it’s ‘for their own good’. Because they are younger and less experienced we think that justifies treating them as inferior (disagree? Please read this).

Children deserve to be treated with no less respect than adults, but it’s so ingrained that it’s really hard to overcome, or even recognise all the little ways that childism seeps into everyday life.

The Number One Way to End Power Struggles - and It Works EVERY Time

Here are some of my favourite resources for moving away from control-based parenting…

Unconditional Parenting by Alfie Kohn

Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg

Freedom Is Not Conditional: 8 Ways to Tell If You’re Respecting Your Child’s Autonomy

Short Circuiting Control

Punishment

“Where did we ever get the crazy idea that in order to make children do better, first we have to make them feel worse? Think of the last time you felt humiliated or treated unfairly. Did you feel like cooperating or doing better?” ― Jane Nelsen

Punishment is obviously a form of control, but I thought it deserved a specific mention. It does not make sense, and it does not work.

“Misbehavior and punishment are not opposites that cancel each other – on the contrary they breed and reinforce each other.” ― Haim G. Ginott

Punishment doesn’t make a child less likely not to do the same thing in the future, it just means they’ll work on being better at not getting caught. It’s also contrary to the goal of fostering connection with children.

The Number One Way to End Power Struggles - and It Works EVERY Time

Rewards

“The problem is that rewards and punishments are really just two sides of the same coin . . . and that coin doesn’t buy very much. Fortunately, there are alternatives to either version of carrot-and-stick manipulation.” -Alfie Kohn

While rewards may seem ‘nicer’, the goal is still control. Rewards, bribes, and praise have also been shown to be ineffective and counterproductive. Rewards are unecessary. If you’re grateful for something your child has done, just thank them authentically!

Demands

“My children gave me some invaluable lessons about demands. Somehow I had gotten it into my head that, as a parent, my job was to make demands. I learned, however, that I could make all the demands in the world but still couldn’t make my children do anything. This is a humbling lesson in power for those of us who believe that, because we’re a parent, teacher, or manager, our job is to change other people and make them behave. Here were these youngsters letting me know that I couldn’t make them do anything. All I could do was make them wish they had—through punishment. Then eventually they taught me that any time I was foolish enough to make them wish they had complied by punishing them, they had ways of making me wish that I hadn’t!” -Marshall Rosenberg

It’s quite shocking when you take notice of how people generally speak to children. There is so much micromanaging and demanding, is it any wonder children are fighting for some control over their own lives? Children naturally resist control, and that is a good thing! Move from making demands to requests that children have a choice in, as much as possible! The key to telling the difference is knowing that you are happy for them to reply with either ‘yes’ or ‘no’. A respectful relationship is not demanding.

The Number One Way to End Power Struggles - and It Works EVERY Time

“When people hear demands, it looks to them as though our caring and respect and love are conditional. It looks as though we are only going to care for them as people when they do what we want.” -Marshall Rosenberg, Raising Children Compassionately (a great resource for more on this)

What do I do instead?

Move towards respectful parenting and live in partnership with your children instead of as adversaries! You can read more about what respectful parenting is here, but here are some things to start with…

Build Connection

“Unless we understand the potential for connection in each moment of each day, we will miss countless wonderful windows of opportunity for interaction with our children.” -Shefali Tsabary, The Conscious Parent

The Number One Way to End Power Struggles - and It Works EVERY Time

I can’t emphasise this enough… connection is the key. Punitive, coercive parenting breaks connection which means children are less likely to listen to you or be interested in working things out together! Make it your mission to replace correction with connection and you’ll notice a huge difference.

Start with my 5 Day Plan to Deepen Connection With Kids and 30 Days Towards Connected Parenting series.

Empathise

“Empathy is when a person accurately communicates that they see another’s intentions and emotional state. It means watching our child’s frustration and focusing on how life feels in that little child’s body, while putting our own anger and agenda into the background.” – Andrea Nair

Children have a LOT of feelings, and our job is to help support them so they grow up to be adults who are equipped to recognise and regulate their emotions. Oftentimes, we haven’t experienced a lot of empathy ourselves and so we struggle with the feelings of others. But, as I have said before “every time you dismiss or minimise your child’s feelings, you actually make your job harder. You very rarely succeed at making them stop anyway, and it’s more likely that they will need more support from you in the future rather than less. If you don’t hear the message they are trying to send you, the messenger just gets louder and louder until you do. Children are looking for empathy and understanding. If they don’t get it, they’ll keep trying.”

Whenever you feel the urge to control, turn to empathy instead.

The Number One Way to End Power Struggles - and It Works EVERY Time

You might also find this post helpful: 10 Things to Say Instead of Stop Crying

Radiate Acceptance

Parent with radical acceptance!  Let go of preconceived ideas of how children ‘should’ behave, and instead respond to them moment by moment. Understand and accept them for the unique and wonderful individuals that they are instead of trying to change them.

Read about parenting with radical acceptance here.

Problem solve

When you encounter problems or disagreements, work together to find a solution instead of ‘laying down the law’. When I say that we parent without control, people often wonder what that looks like. Read more about what we do instead here.

The Number One Way to End Power Struggles - and It Works EVERY Time

Focus on YOUR Boundaries

“Conventional parenting experts claim that children feel more secure when their parents regularly “set limits,” which means making rules and establishing “consequences” (read: punishments) for breaking the rules.

But this approach fails to distinguish arbitrary controls from real limitations and authentic boundaries. Life naturally provides plenty of limits without you adding to them.

Parents are supposed to empower their children, not limit them.” -Scott Noelle

Parents are often advised to ‘set limits’ with their kids, but this again puts the focus on ‘doing to’ instead of ‘working with’. Remember, you can’t actually make anyone do what you want so it makes more sense to instead focus on protecting your own personal boundaries. This is a great read which explains this concept more fully.

Model Graciousness

“Children do not learn from what we say.  They don’t even learn from what we do.  They learn from who we are.  And they’re always watching.” –Visible Child

What do you do when children just refuse to cooperate when you really need them to? Model graciousness. Model what you want to see and trust that you are enough. This post is an absolute must read.

Communicate Effectively

Most of us don’t even know how to identify our feelings and needs, let alone communicate them in an appropriate way. This takes some work, but when you get it, things change dramatically. And, you’re empowering the next generation to grow up with greater emotional literacy.

The Number One Way to End Power Struggles - and It Works EVERY Time

“Behind intimidating messages are merely people appealing to us to meet their needs. A difficult message becomes an opportunity to enrich someone’s life.” -Marshall Rosenberg

Here is a really really helpful post on ‘Nonviolent Communication’. I really think Marshall Rosenberg’s book is life changing and worth a read too.

All of these things will make a huge difference in moving away from power struggles, towards more respectful and connected parenting.

But here’s the catch…

These are not a ‘techniques’ to use on your children.

This is a perspective shift and means coming to a new understanding and view of your relationship. Respectful parenting is not something you can ‘use sometimes’, and the goal isn’t what ‘works’ to ultimately get your way and have your children do what you want.

It’s about being equal. No one has power over anyone else. Just as you don’t control your children, they don’t control you. It doesn’t mean letting them ‘do whatever they want‘ at the expense of your needs and personal boundaries. It means making considered choices and honouring their freedom and autonomy as much as possible. It means doing some internal work and challenging assumptions and ‘the way it’s always been done’.

The Number One Way to End Power Struggles - and It Works EVERY Time

So if you really want to end battles and power struggles…simply stop struggling for power.

It’s not a quick fix, but it’s immensely worth it. When you experience a mutually respectful relationship with your child, and the connection and joy that follows, there is no turning back.

The Number One Way to End Power Struggles - and It Works EVERY Time

Comments

Ashley Quilty
June 18, 2017 at 11:27 pm

I 💜 you (and this) so much! As a pragmatic, reasonable, educated person, it’s flabbergasting to me that we keep struggling to parent and educate in ways that don’t make sense and don’t really work well. That’s not even taking into account the cruelty involved in traditional parenting. I actually wrote a blog post about it recently (and put your blog at the bottom as a resource that I love 😀). Mainstream parenting values characteristics that are diametrically opposite those of healthy adults and relationships, then sends these kids out in the world with a toolkit that doesn’t match real life. Thank you for giving real life, concise advice for how to change the paradigm!



Burgess Momma
June 19, 2017 at 2:10 am

Very well written, this is loving discipline. Punishment is not. Thank you.



Heather
June 19, 2017 at 3:29 am

Thanks for another inspiring post, Sara! My biggest recurring struggle with my 6-year-old is that he wants the freedom to go wherever he wants, whenever he wants. We ask the kids to stay in the house or yard unless an adult goes with them or they have specific plans (for example, the 4- and 6-year-old can go around the block or across the street to the playground as long as we know where they are). I feel like this is a basic safety issue; he sees it as not having freedom (we’ve talked about it a lot in terms of safety and what would happen if an adult saw him on his own and called the police, not an unrealistic scenario here in the US). I hate having to resort to “putting my foot down,” but he doesn’t seem to understand the implications of the kind of freedom he’s wanting 🙁



Dawn Sims Williamson
June 19, 2017 at 8:41 am

Thank you for helping me understand working with my child. This was awesome to read and I will be mindful to be that equal that my son so needs!



Anna
June 19, 2017 at 9:05 pm

Hi
I have a power struggle everyday at bath time. We have solar heated water only and only enough wster is heated to full one bath. I bath first and then the kids before the water gets cold. Dad has a cold shower. They argue about who baths first and generally don’t want to go and bath. I am so so tired of pleading with them every night to jump in the bath before it’s cold. Last night I gave up the struggle. I told them from now on I will take a bath and then tell them the bath is ready and still warm for them to bath but it’s up to them when they choose to bath but understand that the bath will be cold soon. I need them to bath because we live in the country and they are outdoors most of the day and are very dirty by bathtime, the water is always a nice shade of brown by the time they are out. I hope they will be more willing to bath tonight without mom telling them to, after talking to them about it and giving them control my eldest son said that he would bath first every night Ha! My other issue is I have boys who play rough and are very noisy and sometimes completely ignore my requests for calm and silence. Every evening they get so caught up in play and running and wrestling that they honestly don’t listen to me. How do I get through to them without getting angry that it is important to consider others who become overwhelmed with the noise and action. Our house is not very big and evenings should be a time of calm and winding down. While the TV is on they are calm but as soon as dad puts on the news they begin to play and it’s always noisy and running around. How do I connect and help them to consider others? When I talk to them they say they can’t help it they just enjoy playing. Thanks for any tips.



June 21, 2017 at 4:06 am

I loved your article and thank you for attributing my own favorite quote to me. I see it all the time with no attribution. You are doing important work. My retirement project is supporting early literacy by doing my part to collect and deliver gently used children’s books to food pantries to make sure all parents have books to read to their children, so all children can learn to read, and helping to homeschool my two youngest grandchildren.
Thanks for putting all this important information out there.



MummyLove
June 24, 2017 at 9:49 am

I agree wholeheartedly with treating our littles with respect, and strive to do so with my own. However, how would you deal with non-negotiables such as being strapped into a car seat, or having a nappy changed? Our home is pretty peaceful, and everyone tries to show respect, but some things just have to happen, despite protests otherwise. I’ve never seen these situations addressed in this kind of post and I’d really like to know how you’d suggest handling it.



    July 28, 2017 at 8:02 am

    Yes! This! Please write a post about the non-negotiables! Teeth-brushing, taking medicine, nappy changing and car-seats being the main things for me and my son – who is 15 months old and pre-verbal so the ‘problem-solving’ technique isn’t really an option for us. Is 100% respectful parenting only really an option once children have acquired language? I’d like to think this isn’t the case, but don’t see how it works for under two’s. Would be interested in other people’s opinions!



      Allie
      October 7, 2017 at 4:53 am

      I’d also be interested in this please as I have similar questions with my 14 month old



      Heather
      November 29, 2017 at 11:43 am

      Yes same question and add to it getting kids to school on time without pestering them? It’s not about my control it’s the controls life imposed on us—school start time and things such as brushing teeth they are nin negotiable



June 25, 2017 at 5:57 am

Thanks for the shout-out about Modeling Graciousness! Check out Visible Child’s Facebook Live Video about “Dropping the Rope”–also about refusing to engage in power struggles It’s here:

https://www.facebook.com/visiblechildinc/videos/1535678089829726/



June 26, 2017 at 9:24 am

THANK YOU! For sharing this, it is on point.



Aquila Salta
July 3, 2017 at 1:57 pm

Another great read thanks to you Sara! I am always amazed at how you are able to write and make your readers feel that they are just talking to a friend. My favorite part is “What do I do instead?”. Keep writing please!



Ella Grace
September 26, 2017 at 4:11 pm

I so love this post. I have just come and searched for it to re-read it and remind myself I’m not insane for attempting ( because I’m the first to admit I’m far from perfect)to parent this way !!!



November 15, 2017 at 3:00 pm

I love and agree with every word.
Spoke to my heart.



Andrzej
February 13, 2018 at 9:09 am

Like many other who have commented I also agree in principle with this approach, and at the same time wonder how to put it in practice. I could give many examples of the things that I feel are really important and require understanding and cooperation from all parties. Putting the toys back after playing, not spilling water on the carpet or simply not shouting into my ear (be if because of frustration or joy) are just a few. The bottom line is that people (young or old) often have divergent or contrary needs and wants. I would be fine with my son spilling the water on the carpet, if the carpet did not get moldy after that. I would be all for him not cleaning up the toys were it not for the fact that I can step on them in the dark, break them and hurt my feet. I would enjoy him shouting into my ear just if it didn’t hurt me.

So yes, I agree – don’t put arbitrary stupid limits, don’t punish or bribe anyone (including your children) to behave within those limits. Great. But how to make them feel that the power you let them keep should actually be put to a good use, should be put to cooperate rather than exploit?

Imagine that you really allowed them to shout into your ear, or hit you, etc. The problem is that normally they cannot even fully understand that they have done you harm. Even if you tell them. This is because empathy is a capability that fully develops the latest – even in late 20/early 30.
I really believe that most people – even adults – cooperate with each other because they see and understand that this is in their best interest. And in real life best interest means more rewards (money, influence, etc) and less punishment. If adults act on such premises, how should we expect our children to act based on something else, e.g. on empathy?

So what is the way to make children understand the consequences of using their power? How to make them appreciate that things cost money and time so that they should not be devastated? How to make them understand that mutual respect and cooperation is the best way to achieve their goals? Shouldn’t it be after all that in cases when the love for the parent is not sufficient, just present them with the consequences? And often the consequences have to be artificially made up? It would be stupid and ineffective to say “If you destroy this carpet, you will buy a new one”. A more practical thing to say is “if you destroy this carpet I’ll give away your favorite toy”. Or maybe “this is my carpet and I forbid you from devastating it”.

What do you think? Any advise?



Maya
March 12, 2018 at 9:42 am

Im so with you! Thanks for a wonderdull blog! Love from Denmark. I do have a question about “power” struggle in my life with my 15 months son. We live in denmark and ita COLD, so to ensure he is warm i like that he has warm clothes on, coat, wool pants and shoes, when we go out. HE loves to be out, and when all the clothes is on he is smiling and okay, but To get clothes on him is not a relexing situation. He get really mad and do everything to get away. So i make it into a game with singing. Some days it works, other times is not working. But i think he needs warm clothes on to not get cold and sick. Do you have a suggestion? It is like when I stop him from going into the cold water (close by lake) with all the ducks in, she geta so mad and sad. But I do stop him, take him up gentle, saying no, we need to stay here together looking and the water. Oh i do long for summer, no clothes and yes lets go into the water. I just been thinking alot about how to desl with these situations. Love from me from denmark



Debra
March 26, 2018 at 10:27 pm

As a grandmother I am always looking for ways to communicate with my granddaughter. These posts have given me some much needed information to strengthen and build a better relationship with my six year old granddaughter. I have always been apologetic and asked for forgiveness. Unfortunately I took some ill which damaged our relationship for nearly two years. One thing I have learned is my granddaughter has a good memory. Thanks for some refreshing ways to make both of our lives easier.



October 23, 2018 at 12:34 am

Parenting is always to do with parental concerns.When a parent is correcting a kid continuously, it is the parental need , to be a perfect child when he/ she was a child.When a parent is demanding , it’s a parental inadequacy as a child. But thankGod today’s parents have so much of parenting knowledge, thanks to the sources. Yet by all practicality when it comes to actual situations a good applicable strategic guidance is always welcome.Because subduing emotional part of the brain and activating problem solving part of the brain requires some action plan. This is where child psychology helps.Simple rule, not to over do anything, accepting the person as they are.Communicating in a way that little kids understand n connect with us.Love the kids needless to mention n bring up in harmony.



Khayrie
May 20, 2019 at 7:43 pm

Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful article. Great read indeed!



September 20, 2019 at 7:26 pm

How do I end my power struggle – and succeed at any time?



Alex
December 11, 2019 at 1:31 am

The Jitterbug “boundaries” link doesn’t appear to lead anywhere anymore. Is there an archived version or a different article that explains the same concept?



M
May 21, 2020 at 4:11 pm

I think it would be more helpful to give as many examples as possible for how to respond to various power struggle scenarios. Sort of like painting the pictures for us (worth 1,000 words). A person can fully describe their parenting philosophy, but that doesn’t tell us what they actually do when, say, their 6 yr old daughter wants to wear a tacky princess costume or a dress that is too short on the first day of school. Would love to see a 100 examples post. Or at least a reply on this one, lol! Very interested in these ideas but still mostly in the dark on how they play out in real life?? Imagining they are an elderly loved one will probably help a lot, but still many lines that surely must be drawn…but where??



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