The (power) struggle is real: how to peacefully parent a strong-willed child

Parenting doesn’t have to be a struggle. With the right approach – and some practical techniques – it’s possible to parent even the most strong-willed child peacefully. Sarah Rosensweet is a peaceful parenting coach who teaches families to do just that – and she’ll be at Oma on September 28th, to share her wisdom with our community at a workshop called Tame Tantrums and End Power Struggles. The peaceful parenting approach is about setting firm but kind limits, parenting with empathy, and helping kids learn to do the right thing without punishment. Sarah’s workshop will focus on two areas where parents – especially those with strong-willed children – commonly struggle: dealing with tantrums and ending power struggles. To give you a preview of what you can expect on the 28th, here’s an overview of why tantrums and power struggles take place – and some preliminary advice for how to deal with them more peacefully. Taming TantrumsMeltdowns are a stressful and inconvenient occurrence for most parents – but they aren’t a form of misbehaviour, or something you should try and shut down. According to Sarah, meltdowns are a necessary – and even healthy – release for children, and an opportunity to build resilience.“When a child melts down, it’s rarely about the thing – or situation – that set them off,” she explains. “It’s happening because they have big feelings that they can’t process and don’t know how to express.”As uncomfortable as it may be to see your child upset, the best thing you can do, according to Sarah, is welcome their emotions. “This is a tough shift for many parents, as most of us are really afraid to let our kids feel bad,” she explains. “But it’s ok. Meltdowns are an opportunity to let your child release their big feelings and teach them how to process emotion, which is so important for building emotional awareness and resiliency.” At her workshop, Sarah will share several strategies for how to manage meltdowns when they happen, and how to firmly (yet lovingly) set boundaries.Power Struggles “When you have a strong-willed child, you need strong parenting chops,” says Sarah. Strong-willed kids typically have a strong sense of personal integrity, which leads to a powerful desire to be in-charge of themselves. Instead of taking an authoritarian approach – which will break a child’s spirit over time, and likely lead to rebellion down the road – the peaceful parenting approach is to avoid power struggles by finding – or creating – win/win situations. “You want to make things fun, and engage your child in play so they want to do the thing you’d like them to do,” explains Sarah. “If your child doesn’t want to get into the bath, for example, turn it into a game where they get to be their favourite animal.”It’s more work for sure, but the payoff over time is huge – and the absence of conflict will make everyone happier. For a ton more information and advice on how to tame tantrums and avoid power struggles, grab a ticket to Sarah’s workshop. This informal and interactive session will include lots of discussion and an opportunity to chat with her about your unique situation or challenges. You’ll leave with a great understanding of the peaceful parenting approach and some concrete strategies you can put into practice right away at home. Hope to see you there!