A parent shares she was worried that her son (11 years old) played too many games on the ipad. So she forbade him using it. You can imagine how upset he was about this and for three days things weren't great between them.

In a coaching session with me, I suggested she try letting him solve the problem she was facing instead of her just calling all the shots.

"So Kyle, you can use the ipad. And what we need to figure out is how I can be assured that you will use it appropriately. 'I' can't 'quite figure out how we can do this, but if YOU can solve this challenge then you can play with it."

After a minute of thinking he came back and said:

"Mom, you can install the ipad 'spy' tracking system which will tell you exactly what websites I have been too, and what apps I have opened and used. Then you will know exactly what I am doing."

She agreed, found the tracking app and the problem quickly solved.

Every time you include your children into being part of the solution, another whole paradigm of what is possible opens up for you.