Wildly, Zachary kicks his Mother as he struggles to get loose. Mother declares, not to be outdone by her child's resistant behavior. Zachary begins to cry loudly as Mother, somewhat beaten and greatly exasperated, pulls off his clothes for his impending bath. This emotional and physical power struggle continues through Zachary's bath, pajamas, tooth brushing, and abruptly ends with a token kiss. Mother stomps down the stairs after slamming his door.
Mother feels guilty and frustrated in front of the television.
Now, look at this same scene through the eyes of the child - in this case Zachary. Consider how you are feeling. True, the child is not yet an adult. However he IS a person, has feelings and is at an important growth stage of wanting independence and experimenting with how to have his choices be known and honored. This is the beginning of his being an individual - he is establishing his separateness from his parents and is exploring his competence and capabilities.