5. Emotional manipulators fight dirty. . . . "Of course I want you to go back to school honey and you know I’ll support you." Then exam night you are sitting at the table and poker buddies show up, the kids are crying the t.v. blasting and the dog needs walking - all the while "Sweetie" is sitting on their ass looking at you blankly.
EXACTLY -- I had to hire our next door neighbor to babysit so I could study; because "Sweetie" was laying on his a$$ watching TV and didn't notice that our 4-yr old left the room and was trying to climb mommy's leg again -- that and get up at 4:00 a.m. to study while everyone else was sleeping. I wish I had read this 15 yrs ago; would have saved myself 15 yrs of continued manipulation.
And I agree with Karmakoma -- I don't think it's that they sit there and think "Hmmmm -- now I will do some crazymaking, yeah that sounds like fun." They are just using what has worked in the past to get their way.