A few weeks ago while I was at library with my daughter, a book caught my attention.  It is called Persuasion: The Art of Getting What You Want by Dave Lakhani, 2005.  I thought of my son and the time when I thought he was very much in need of empowering himself with the ability to persuade.

The book started with the comparison between manipulation and persuasion.  Of many things that a person has to do in order to manipulate, interesting to note is the emphasis on building relationship, creating trust, befriending, etc.

We know that a good relation is the key to get any task done at workplace, like being a good team player, but as parents, we might need to be reminded that it is absolutely essential that a good relationship with the children is the foundation of “getting what you want.”  I call it manipulation for the benefit of the children.