Parenting Without Power Struggles:
Six-Week Live Online Class!
Ready to parent without power struggles?
Join me for a six-week, interactive course
beginning on February 22, 2018!
(Replays Available)
Would you like life with your children to be relaxed, stress-free, and enjoyable?
Transform resistance and defiance into cooperation and connection
If you’d like to feel less overwhelmed by the tasks of parenting and more lit up with joy when you’re with your children, then my Parenting Without Power Struggles comprehensive live class may be just what the doctor ordered.
Imagine what it would feel like to wake your kids and know that you’re headed into a peaceful morning! Picture a life with your family where each of you feels nourished by the closeness and love that permeates your relationships.
Here’s a look at the what we’ll cover:
Week 1:
I’ll introduce you to the three ways you can parent: As the argumentative, pushy “Lawyer“, the desperate, out of control “Dictator“, or the confident “Captain of the Ship” who exudes quiet authority without relying on bribes, threats or punishments. I’ll talk about why it’s hard for us to stay in that calm Captain role, how “Snapshot Child Syndrome” gets in the way of parenting from authentic strength, and what to do when we get triggered and lose our cool.
Week 2:
Children are wired to resist the influence of those with whom they are not attached. In this session, I will walk you through the process of building the kind of connection with your kids that makes them naturally receptive to your direction and guidance. I’ll help you identify the weak links in the attachment you have with your children so you can fortify connection in specific ways. And as with all sessions, you’ll have an assignment to do that will help you put into practice what you are learning in our time together.
Week 3:
Being the Captain of the ship requires us to keep our cool–not an easy thing to do when our kids are rolling their eyes, ignoring us, or deliberately doing the opposite of what we’ve asked. In this session, I’ll help you address the root of what causes you to feel disrespected or unappreciated. We’ll deal directly with the beliefs, patterns, and instinctive reactions that make it difficult to manage a child’s unhappiness or misbehavior without making things worse. Simply knowing what we should do in the heat of the moment isn’t enough; I’ll help you untangle the underlying elements that make it feel impossible to keep your parenting cool so you can deal sanely and effectively when your kids behavior tests your limits. A unique and essential session!
Week 4:
When children are frustrated, they either become aggressive (toward you, their siblings or themselves) or they adapt and make peace with things as they are. In this powerful session, I will show you how to help children move through their disappointments and frustrations so they stop having tantrums, meltdowns or angry outbursts when they don’t get their way–and so they can develop the resilience necessary for a happy life. I’ll show you how to come alongside rather than at your kids–taking you step by step through a process that will make it second nature to approach your children in a way that helps them be open and receptive. You’ll see me demonstrating Act I and Act II so that what might have been theoretical becomes easy for you to understand and apply in real life!
Week 5:
In this session, I’ll talk about changing the “pH” of our relationships so we can avoid engaging in heated negotiations as The Lawyer, stop delivering escalating threats and bribes as The Dictator, and be that loving Captain of the Ship our kids look to for guidance. This session is loaded with opportunities to practice what we’ve been learning so that you’ll become increasingly able to manage your reactivity and respond to your kids from a quiet, calm confidence. (Really!)
Week 6:
In our final session, we’ll dive deeper into some of the ways you can enlist your children’s cooperation on real-life issues like homework, bedtime, and chores. I’ll take your questions and make sure you feel comfortable with what you’ve learned by having plenty of chances to ask questions, practice and role play.
More about this program:
The course includes six interactive sessions with me that you can “attend” from your computer. Each week, we’ll dive into material to help you learn:
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How to be the calm, loving Captain of the ship in your children’s lives
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How to strengthen attachment through each stage of a child’s development
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Why kids are wired to resist being bossed around
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How to help children move from frustration to acceptance–rather than aggression
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How to handle practical issues like screen time, homework, and bedtime that often devolve into arguments, negotiations, and power struggles
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How to address emotional issues like anxiety, moodiness, or depression
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How to manage your parenting cool so you can respond, rather than react when the going gets rough
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Alternatives to threats, bribes, and punishments
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Fostering genuine cooperation and receptivity that isn’t manipulated by parental fear or control
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How to become the parent your children want to turn to when they are struggling
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And more!
What’s included in the course:
- A live, 75-minute session every week, where I will teach concepts and strategies and offer participants the chance to ask questions
- The opportunity to work with me personally during the webinar to help you with a particular parenting issue
- Unlimited access to the replays of the weekly sessions, in case you are not able to attend the live class, or would like to review what we’ve learned
- Supportive and inspirational emails from me three times per week to keep you motivated
- A forum for posting comments and asking questions that I will address each week during class
- Weekly “homework” to allow you to practice what you’re learning with your own family and reflect on what we’ve learned
- The opportunity to be paired with Study Buddies who will keep you accountable and prop you up when you need support
- A private Facebook group to connect you with other parents taking the course
You’ll learn the tried, true and tested approaches I’ve developed over 30 years as a teacher, educational therapist, parent coach and licensed psychotherapist. I’ve used these strategies with thousands of parents to create breakthroughs that allow them to parent from genuine and loving authority, rather than shouting, threatening and negotiating.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What are the class dates and times?
The class will be held weekly, for six weeks, at 12:00 PM PST, beginning February 22.
What if I can't ever attend the live class at the date and time?
We’ve got you covered! In addition to watching the replay recordings in my customer portal, you can submit questions during the week using a Google Doc we will all share. You can post your questions and concerns, and I will address them in the class.
I have Susan’s book. How will this class be different?
Many parents have found that while they resonate with the ideas in my books, reading alone is not enough to help them apply new approaches to dealing with challenging parenting moments when the going gets rough. They may find that although they know it would be good to come alongside rather than AT their child, or to help their child feel sad when they’re frustrated, it is not so easy to apply in the heat of the moment. This course will allow parents to work with me personallyso that the strategies I teach become natural and intuitive. This is especially valuable for parents who might initially feel awkward as they try on an approach that is different from how they themselves were parented.
How can I absorb this material without feeling even more overwhelmed than I already am?
The beauty of this class format is that after the live session, you can return to the class recordings as often as you like. There are no deadlines or expiration dates on working with this material. I urge parents to be careful about not letting their critical inner voice have air-play when it comes to doing this program. If you keep your eye on the prize — a more harmonious, enjoyable, peaceful family life — then whatever time you invest will feel worthwhile and doable.
My partner and I are not on the same page with our parenting approaches. Will this course help?
Here is what I say to parents who complain about being out of synch with their co-parent: Do your own work, and resist the urge to “parent” or “teach” your child’s other parent. Nothing is more off-putting than being told — without asking — what you’re doing wrong as a parent. What I have discovered is that if we make positive improvements in our relationship with our kids, the other parent can’t help but notice, and may independently come to a decision that they, too, want to adapt some of these ideas.
If my kids are older, is it too late for me to change how I parent?
Absolutely not! The truth is, my relationship with my son — now in his twenties — continues to get better as I keep growing and learning. It is never, ever too late to clean up problematic relationships with our kids, or restore deep attachment with a child or teen who has pulled away. I have even taught these ideas to parents in their seventies and eighties who have healed relationship with their adult children!
Is this course useful for parents of toddlers?
There are a couple of strategies that will not be useful to you until your child is two and a half to three years old, because they are more word-based. But many parents of toddlers have found my work to be enormously helpful, both because they develop skills that help them avoid power struggles as their kids grow, and because this work helps reduce a parent’s tendencies to get overwhelmed and lose their cool when they hit bumps in the parenting road.
Is this course useful for parents of teens?
This course is very useful for parents of teens. As your kids grow up, they have a developmental imperative to pull away and exercise more of their will. While this is ultimately healthy and necessary, it can fuel epic power struggles if parents come AT their kids, rather than alongside them. It is also essential that attachment still be the foundation from which we raise our older kids. Parents of teens have found the ideas in this course can make life much less stressful and more enjoyable.
Are there payment options?
Yes, you may pay in two installments.
Is there a guarantee?
If you try the first class and you don’t think it’s for you, just drop us an email before the second class and we’ll refund your money, no questions asked.
Ready for real, lasting change?
If you’re ready to stop the power struggles, tantrums and meltdowns (your child’s or your own!) and are willing to invest a little money, time and effort in exchange for a joyful, harmonious family environment, then I invite you to register for the Parenting Without Power Struggles Six-Week Live Class.
I feel so fortunate to be doing work that brings me such joy, and makes a real difference in people’s lives. If you find yourself intrigued, and are ready to take a step toward genuinely transforming your relationship with your kids, I hope you’ll give this class a try. Thank you for being someone who’s deeply committed to their family.
With warmest regards,
Susan
What others have said:
“Before taking this course, I thought my kids deliberately ignored me or tried to make me mad. I now know that they really do want to please me when I approach them as Susan teaches. Our family life was so stressful (and loud!) Thank you so much for this program. It has changed everything for the better!”
K.T.
“I think I always believed that kids don’t cooperate unless they are obligated to, or some incentive is involved. I see now how much they can genuinely enjoy cooperating with their parents. When I ask him to do something, most of the time lately, he says “OK”, and does it right away without complaining. This is such a blessing!”
L.P.
“The experience was transformative in so many ways. One of the biggest changes for our family was the Act 1/Act 2 parenting and the concept of coming alongside. My children have already benefitted from significantly from the change in my parenting as a result of these new understandings.”
P.I.
“Sometimes I would feel rage in my body when my boys wouldn’t listen. This program taught me that their behavior isn’t personal, and that if I build the attachment Susan talks about and avoid taking their behavior personally, I can stay calm and loving. Our family is so different because of what I learned. Thank you Susan!”
R. L.
“Soon after I started this program, my son started freaking out about something. My husband said, “go ahead and try parenting without power struggles.” He expected me to end up yelling but with Susan’s tools in mind, I was able to connect with my son and turn things around quickly. Our lives are so much better because of this training.”
R.M.
“My husband and I have learned to work together much better using the visuals and metaphors outlined in this course. We react much less and respond much more with the idea of coming along side. We are so grateful for Susan and her work. Thank you.”
Gregory Anne and Peter Ormsby Clear Lake, WA
