Title: Manipulative Child Behavior - 6 Tips For Parents | Empowering Parents
Headings: Manipulative Child Behavior? My Kids Are “Too Smart for Their Own Good”
Manipulative Child Behavior? My Kids Are “Too Smart for Their Own Good”
By Debbie Pincus, MS LMHC
“My kids are driving me crazy! They are so manipulative I can’t stand it!”
The Cycle of Manipulation, Control and Defiance
1. Recognize Manipulative Behaviors
2. Know Your Triggers
3. Define Yourself and Your Parenting Principles
4. Approach the Bench
5. Believe in Your Child
6. Soothe Yourself
About Debbie Pincus, MS LMHC
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Content: Or maybe when you feel disrespected, you withdraw. Or perhaps you try to avoid conflict and keep the peace, so you give in to your child’s demands. Sometimes you might even tighten your grip to show that you’re in control. Unfortunately, this usually just invites a power struggle with your child, because she starts pulling back on the tug of war rope as hard as she can. If you then tighten your grip more forcefully and pull back in response, the endless cycle of manipulation, control, and defiance can go on and on. As a parent, I understand that it can be easy at times to take manipulative tactics personally. You think, “If he really loved me, he would never lie to me.” Or, “If she really cared about me, she would never try to sneak behind my back in order to go to her friend’s house.” And some parents overgeneralize their kids’ behavior. They reason, “If he can look me in the face and deceive me, that means he’s a deceitful person.”