Power Struggles

“Do what I say because I said so.”

Most parents have said it. Most children have resisted it. And before you know it, everyone is locked into a battle of wills.

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Power struggles happen because power is a basic human need for both children and adults. Children need to feel capable, valued, and to have some appropriate control over their world. When they do not know how to meet that need in a healthy way, resistance, arguing, defiance, and battles over control can quickly take over.

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In Power Struggles, Michelle Gambs helps parents and caregivers understand why children push back and how adults can stop feeding the struggle. Because of our size, position, and authority, adults already hold tremendous power. This course shows you how to use that power with calm confidence instead of yelling, commanding, lecturing, or escalating the moment.

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You’ll learn how to prevent power struggles before they begin and what to do when you find yourself in one. Michelle shares practical tools for talking less, staying firm and kind, offering choices, asking better questions, letting go of fixed positions, and helping children feel powerful in useful and respectful ways.

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These skills are helpful in parenting, but they also apply to other relationships where power struggles can show up. The goal is not to “win” the battle. The goal is to step out of the battle altogether.