Power Struggles-Understanding this Potent Dynamic. Deb Norris August 11, 2025

Power struggles come from a variety of components; fatigue, stress, frustration, helplessness or the quest for autonomy and power. This presentation looks at avoiding responses that provide short term relief, but long-term grief.We will explore why effective reactions to children's power struggles come from understanding not simply the behavior but also its function, mainly the child's needs and feelings. Surprisingly, the answer to power struggles is not avoiding them, but rather to take out the defiance and learn from them. Our goal will be helping children advocate for themselves by having conversations which increase their autonomy and balance new privileges with new responsibilities.