If you’re in a power-struggle, your kid isn't the only one fighting for power.
Power-struggles are often destined for a winner and a loser. If your child wins, you’re the loser. If you win, your child is the loser. But what if everyone won?
When you want one thing, and your child wants another, it’s never too late, (or early,) to say,
“We’ve got a problem, how do we fix it together?”
Expand the situation:
“We’ve got a problem. You want ‘X’, I want ‘Y’, and we need to ‘situation’. How do we fix it together?”
As soon as you ask this question, you move from:
[YOU] Vs. [YOUR CHILD] in a SITUATION
to
[YOU + YOUR CHILD] Vs THE SITUATION
At this point you are both on the same side. Your child may suggest a viable solution. Listen first. If they have nothing, suggest a way that let’s both parties win in some way.
NOTE: There are times as a parent, where you have to make things happen in the moment. When that happens, remember: you can always meet up at the end of the day to talk about a win-win solution so that you don’t get stuck in the same situation tomorrow.