Struggling With a Child Who is Inflexible and Makes Unreasonable, Irrational Demands?

One of the chief concerns (and complaints) from parents I work with is that their children are super rigid and irrational.  Typical examples include: 

Henry threw a huge fit because I picked him up from childcare instead of Grandma, who usually gets him at the end of the day. 

Chelsea refused to take a bath because I turned on the water when she wanted to do it herself.

Andrew's teachers report that his peers don't want to play with him because he is bossy and needs to dictate everything. Yesterday, he knocked down the block structure he was building with friends because he insisted it be a home for their action figures when his playmates had already decided it was going to be a restaurant. 

If any of these scenarios sound familiar, you are not alone.