As a parent, bear in mind that your teenage child will try to manipulate you at some point. However, manipulation does not begin in the teenage years; most children learn to manipulate their parents right from childhood.

For example, infants know how to get certain responses from their parents. It could be through crying at night. They know that if they cry, their parent would come in to comfort them, so they continue to repeat this.

Teenagers exhibit different behaviors just to get what they want. When they need a new toy, another cell phone, or maybe more time for watching TV. They know that their requests might not be granted, so they learn to use manipulative behaviors when making some of these selfish demands from their parents. If their parents fall for their manipulation, it becomes a habit because it is working and they are having their way.

However, you can still deal with your teenager’s manipulative behavior. Here are 5 tips that will help you stop this negative habit in your teenager’s life.

1. Stop Negotiating With Your Teenager

Most times parents try to bargain with their children to change bad behaviors. They appease these children with gift items just to see if they will change their ways.

But most of the time, that change desired by the parents never really happens. Rather, the problem even gets worse. The teenagers realize that this behavior helps them control their parents, so they hold on to it.

To deal with this issue, you need to stop negotiating with your teenage child and make firm decisions. You should be able to turn down their selfish demands without feeling bad about it.

Also, you need to remember that your manipulative teen knows how to influence you emotionally, so you must stick to your words and mean what you say.

When you stop negotiating, make sure you set the rules so they know what is allowed and what isn’t. If you do all these things with seriousness, your teenage child will know that there’s no point in trying to manipulate you because you no longer give room for negotiations.

2. Be Consistent With Your Decisions

When you are dealing with a manipulative teenager, you need to be consistent with your decisions. It’s the only way to keep them from trying to manipulate you. As a parent, it is never wrong for you to empathize with your child.

However, you need to set limits and be consistent with them. Learn to say “No” to certain requests. And when you do, walk away from the scene and ignore the pleas or spiteful comments coming from the child. No matter what they say to you, just walk away like an adult and don’t slam the door behind you.

After some time, when the teenager is calm, you can go and talk to them and let them know what you’re doing is the best for them. However, make sure your decision still stands.

If you keep being consistent as a parent, your teenage child will eventually give up on trying to manipulate you.

3. Hold Them Accountable

To stop the manipulative behavior of your teenage child, you need to hold them accountable for their actions. Let them know that their actions are unacceptable.

It is important to set up rules and boundaries for your manipulative teenager. However, you also need to follow up by being consistent and holding them accountable for their behaviors.

You can attach a reward for good behavior and a consequence for bad behavior.  Make sure you choose consequences that the teenager cares about. This will motivate them to stick to the rules and be of good behavior.

4. Don’t Give Them An Audience

Children are fond of looking for inappropriate attention and approval. Your manipulative teenage child might yell, threaten, or throw things at you in a bid to make you yield to their manipulation.

The best thing to do in that situation is to walk away; don’t give them an audience or try to negotiate with them in that state. By walking away, you’ll be showing them that you are not affected by their manipulative tactics and they will stop trying to manipulate you.

5. Don’t Be The Weakest Link

To remove the manipulative behavior of a teenager, the parents need to be strong emotionally. Children know their parents very well and a manipulative child will use the weakness of a parent to their advantage.

For example, if the father changes his mind so easily, the manipulative child will always go to the father instead of the mother. To avoid this, both parents should always be on the same page when it comes to decision-making.

Finally, you need to understand that it is very possible to manage a manipulative teenager. Just follow the tips we have given above and you’ll see a positive change in your child.