Tag Archives: manipulation

Do You “Dance” With Your Kids?

Do you dance with your kids? No, I’m not talking about dancing the hokey-pokey, I’m referring to the kind of dancing kids do to manipulate their parents. I had never heard of this until I read about it in, Try and Make Me! by Ray Levy and Bill O’Hanlon. According to the authors, there are eight types of dances that kids will try to do to get around your rules. They are: (1) The Guilt Dance In this dance the kid will lay a guilt trip on you in order to get you do something. For example, “You’ve been at … Continue reading →

Dealing with a Passive-Aggressive Manipulator (2)

In Dealing with a Passive-Aggressive Manipulator (1), we looked at some of the thoughts patterns, beliefs, and behaviors of the passive-aggressive person. In this article, we will look at ways to minimize the damage they can cause in your life. Because the passive-aggressive person inherently believes they are blameless, innocent, and basically good people, anything that threatens that view of themselves threatens the very core of their being. They live in a world where they must conceal all the “awful” things about themselves at all costs. Yet, for the most, none of these things are awful at all. They are … Continue reading →

Dealing with a Passive-Aggressive Manipulator (1)

In the previous blog on Is there a Passive-Aggressive in the house? we looked at some of the behavioral techniques utilized by these people in order to get what they want. In today’s blog, we’ll discover what motivates the passive-aggressive and how to minimize the effect of the dramas they can create in our lives. In their own minds at least, the passive-aggressive person believes they are nice people; easy to please, eager to help, and always willing to take on more than their fair share of the workload. They are professional martyrs. And they hunger for approval. All this … Continue reading →

Is there a Passive–Aggressive in the house?

Do you live with someone who manipulates you into doing things you don’t want to do, yet you just can’t put your finger on how they do it? Perhaps you have a friend who subtly controls you. Yet it’s done in such a way that there is really nothing definite to point a finger at? Sound familiar? You could be dealing with a Passive–Aggressive manipulator. A relationship with a person who uses passive-aggressive techniques to get their way is frustrating and draining. Perhaps you may not have heard of the term “passive-aggressive” but the behavior will definitely be familiar. The … Continue reading →