Trying to Control Too Much

As parents we want to guide our children to making good choices. How do we know when we’ve stepped over the line and are trying to control too much of our children’s behavior?

Luckily children are pretty good at letting adults know when they’ve stepped over that line. If you hear your child saying any of the following, you’re probably over the line:

• “You’re not the boss of me!”
• “I’m not going to do that!”
• “You can’t make me.”
• “Why do you always get to choose?”

One mom was describing her frustration in getting her daughter to practice the piano. No matter how hard she tried her daughter sat on the piano bench refusing to put her fingers on the keys. This is a typical power struggle and one that mom is likely to lose since her daughter ultimately controls what she does with her fingers!

For ideas on how to handle control issues and avoid power struggles, check out Lesson 2: Control Issues in the Priceless Parenting online class.