Daily Power Struggles with Children

This question was submitted by: Amy Barber

My question is please help me to not engage in daily power struggles with all my children. They say things that I take exception too about my parenting, my lack of calm, my schooling choices, etc and I feel the need to explain to them which leads to us beginning a power struggle. Can you give me something I can do today, this hour to stop engaging with them and still communicate effectively and not power struggle? I probably use way too many words trying to explain my choices, etc and they love to point out what I am doing wrong. Sometimes I feel they act much too much like the parent instructing me in what I should do and I want to be the parent in the discussion and not engage in a power struggle. Help. I have watched the expectation trap, the power of calm and read the Roles book. Definitely a work in progress over here and very discouraged at my lack of ability to stop the power struggles. Thank you.