Noting that power struggles between parents and children provide rich opportunities for parents to teach children how to deal with strong emotions and for parents and children to solve problems together, this book provides parents with “emotion coaching” strategies for identifying the emotions and needs that can create daily hassles. Part 1, “A New Perspective on Power Struggles,” introduces the concept of emotion coaching and describes how helping children to understand their emotions stops power struggles. Part 2, “Building the Connections,” provides information on developing a strong parent-child relationship, built upon a vision of the desired relationship during adolescence and adulthood, and discusses the difficulties in making that connection. Strategies for parental coping, enforcing standards with children, and teaching calming techniques are included. Part 3, “Caring: Knowing Yourself and Your Child,” assists parents in identifying emotions that fuel power struggles, and covers temperament triggers, the role of stress and medical factors on behavior, predicting triggers, and diffusing and managing triggers before they pull parents and children into power struggles. Part 4, “Developing Competence: Teaching Life’s Essential Skills,” explains the normal stages of emotional development and includes tips on teaching children how to motivate and stop themselves, how to be assertive, and how to negotiate. Part 5, “Celebrating the Child Who is More: Caring, Competent, and Connected,” provides a brief epilogue, reminding parents to slow down and seize every opportunity for emotional connection with their children. (Contains 23 references). (KB) (ERIC No. ED438078)
