"She won't let me leave the room before she's asleep." "I had to carry him the whole time." "He hates holding my hand to cross the road."

Whenever I hear myself or a client using phrases like this, I pause. They're clues as to who's holding the power in these situations.

Let's talk suncream.

A bone of contention between parents and kids since Ancient Greek times (not kidding, they used olive oil 😂).

Who hasn't resorted to manhandling, distraction, warnings, requests and bribes to swipe it on?

Here's the thing about defiance in neurotypical kids: It's SO hard to avoid a power struggle when your child refuses what you've asked. Many, many parents will experience a stress response in the face of defiance.