Dealing with Manipulative Children: How To Stop Manipulative Children From Controlling You
By Michael Lee

Dealing with manipulative adults is one thing, but dealing with manipulative children is something else entirely.

It's a lot more challenging to handle such a situation because you're talking about kids here. They know how much power they have and how little you can do to them. And if you're unfortunate enough, you might be dealing with your very own children.

Dealing with manipulative children requires a certain finesse. You can't just charge into a situation without a game plan. Lucky for you, this article will tell you just what to do.

1) Show Them Who's Boss.

Kids may cry, stomp, sulk and throw tantrums all they want, but you can't give in. A lot of people make the mistake of giving the kids what they want just to get the whole scene over with. However, that only teaches the kids how effective their techniques are.

When dealing with manipulative children, you cannot allow yourself to show any sign of weakness. Sure, sending your kid to bed early or to the "naughty" corner is hard for any parent, but discipline must be instilled.

Be firm with your decisions. After a while, you should also explain to them why what they did was wrong, to put everything into perspective.

2) Be Logical Instead Of Emotional.

When dealing with manipulative children, you have to prepare your emotions for a storm. Kids will try their best to appeal to you in every way possible.

To keep yourself on your path, stay logical. When the conversation turns into an argument, use logic to make your point. Emotions are fuzzy and will not be convincing enough.

For example, your kid might try pleading with you to attend a certain party. They will use every puppy dog trick in the book to get you to give them permission. But if you really don't want to allow your kid to go out - or you do not want to extend the kid's curfew - you're going to need to bring up every reasoning skill you have under your sleeve. And remember to keep your tone final. Know when to end the discussion.

3) Explain Your Own Emotions.

Sometimes, kids don't realize that their manipulative ways are hurting other people. Try to talk to the kid about your feelings and how it's wrong to manipulate others for their own benefit.

This is not a conversation to be had on the breakfast table, just before they go to school. Do this during a time when you know they don't have a lot in mind.

Dealing with manipulative children won't be easy at first. But if you follow these tips, you'll be able to avoid such situations and even turn the whole thing around.