Do you have a child who follows the letter of the law, but violates its spirit entirely? How do you respond when your little one defends her defiance with thinly-veiled justifications and argues with the cleverness of a courtroom attorney?

Have you ever been in a situation with your child where, "out-of-the-blue," they seem to want to fight?

"Can words cause whiplash?" I wondered. My white knuckles clutched the steering wheel with primitive force and I'm pretty sure the woman in the next lane saw steam coming out of my ears.

When a parent can keep the child focused on the self-destructive pattern of manipulating reality to suit personal desires, rather than getting distracted by the infuriating behavior and persistent rationalizations, both parent and child benefit.