If you've ever thought to yourself, "My child has an agenda! I just know it!"--you may be onto something. He/she does. And guess what? So do you. We all do. Conflict arises when our agendas as parents clash with those of our children. Perhaps a great illustration of this concept is a scene that gets played out across the nation every night: putting your child to bed. YOUR agenda is to get your child in bed so they can get rested up for the next day. You also, deservedly, look forward to some "down" time. Your CHILD'S agenda is to continue to play and stay immersed in the activity at hand. After a reminder or two, maybe followed by a threat, you *could* find yourself (as I have, at times) yelling at your child and issuing harsh ultimatums. And this is only bedtime we're talking about. What about all those other times that you want your child to stop or start something and he/she doesn't want to? If you don't want to be in "reaction mode," what CAN you do, short of giving in?

   I talked with Bonnie Harris, the author of When Kids Push Your Buttons And What To Do About It (one of my favorite parenting books!). Bonnie's down-to-earth approach will inspire you to try a new way of managing conflicts with your child. Her book is full of vivid examples that really show how her ideas work. For a brief overview, listen to our podcast (to be posted in a few days), and then check out her website at www.bonnieharris.com!