The things that your child loves best - be they pets, toys, hobbies, activities with their peers, games or any other thing that means nothing to you but everything to them - are great for gaining leverage. All of these things can be used for or against your child, as befits your goals. They are the perfect rewards to strew benevolently when you are pleased, to destroy or withhold when you are displeased (by your child or something else in your life) and to downplay or belittle when teaching your child a lesson about humility and reminding them of their station.
Paying Through Pets
Pets are one of the most versatile objects in your toolbox. Many children identify with their little pet-siblings, so if the pet suffers, the child suffers. In fact you may often ask yourself whether there is really any different at all between the family pets and the child - there isn't. One will however grow to be potentially litigious, so a little bit more care needs to be taken in their treatment and gaslighting may be necessary to ward off malpractice suits later on. That said, pets are a fantastic way of indirectly letting your child feel the pain they are causing you, without alerting child protective services.
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Toying with the Toys
If pets are too cumbersome, you can still gain similar leverage through the child's favourite toys. As with pets, children often identify with their dolls or stuffed animals, so you have achieve quite an impact by throwing those toys down the stairs as punishmentm, by locking them in the cupboard for "solitary confinement" or tossing them altogether.
This approach has some advantages over utilising pets: there are no laws prohibiting abuse of inanimate objects like dolls and they are easier to replace while still holding a special place in your child's heart. |
All Fun and Games
Games, whether they are electronic or the old-fashioned kind, are a veritable playground for you. You can lord your adult superiority over your child's hapless attempts at trying to win, rig the game in your favour, make your child feel foolish for even trying and ensure they will forever have a hard time having fun, even when they grow up.
If you have more than one child, you can play them off against each other to support scapegoat/golden child machinations. Games are good tools because you can always play it off lightly when your child calls you on your tactics: "sheesh, it's just a game". You also hold all the strings: allow or forbid your child from playing as and when it suits your disciplinary strategy. |
Homing in on Hobbies
Is your child really into a particular hobby or pastime? Great! This means they will be willing to go to extraordinary lengths to preserve the privilege of being allowed to take part in that hobby and get the equipment they need.
You have a fool-proof stranglehold over your child's school grades, attitude and appearance because you can threaten to put an end to their beloved hobby if they do not do as you say. If the hobby involves other children or a club, all the better - your child will be even more unwilling to let the others down. If your child is actually any good, you can either hijack their achievements or downplay it to oblivion, depending on your own security. Hobbies are of course also an arena for your self-actualisation. Perhaps you lacked the discipline to become a virtuoso yourself, but now that you are an adult, you have developed the relentless drive it takes and can bring that to bear full force on your little Mozart. Maybe your own parents failed to recognise your special talents and you wish to shine through your child instead - start early and bask in the glory! |