S2E4 – Choice-Giving: The Antidote to Power and Control Struggles

Mar 26, 2024

In today’s episode of the Play Therapy Parenting Podcast, we’re exploring choice giving. Choice giving empowers children by offering them opportunities to make decisions and exercise control in their lives. By providing choices within established boundaries, parents can help children develop decision-making skills, reduce power struggles, and foster a sense of ownership over outcomes. I emphasize the importance of setting mutually agreeable parameters for choices and I explain practical examples, such as allowing children to choose their lunch fruit or the timing of their bath. Through consistent implementation of choice giving, parents can create a healthy dynamic with their children, build their decision-making abilities, and minimize conflicts.

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References:
Cochran, N., Nordling, W., & Cochran, J. (2010). Child-Centered Play Therapy (1st ed.). Wiley.
VanFleet, R., Sywulak, A. E., & Sniscak, C. C. (2010). Child-centered play therapy. Guilford Press.
Landreth, G. L. (2002). Play therapy: The art of the relationship (2nd ed.). Brunner-Routledge.
Bratton, S. C., Landreth, G. L., Kellam, T., & Blackard, S. R. (2006). Child parent relationship therapy (CPRT) treatment manual: A 10-session filial therapy model for training parents. Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.
Benedict, Helen. Themes in Play Therapy. Used with permission to Heartland Play Therapy Institute.

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