Invoking another authority figure
When parents sense that their position of authority in their child’s life is not being respected, it can often lead to their using other authority figures to strengthen their own faltering position. Telling your child that you’re going to share personal information with their teacher is one way to break the sense of trust that your child has in you as a safe person. Home needs to be a safe and private place for a child; it’s considered entirely separate from school. Instead of making false threats of sharing personal things that should stay between the four walls of a home, such as reluctance to help clean up or refusal to complete homework, try giving your child a choice between two things that you support. For example, if your child is balking at homework, you might offer him the choice between working on it before or after dinner. Giving a child a bit of power over their own time can yield positive benefits in compliance.