Pretty much every time I've attempted the "psych" methods on her, what I initially thought was very clever or wily turns out to be an abject failure that leaves me wishing that I'd just leveled with her.
This partly explains why my default method is to level with my DD, because she's always suspicious of anything coming from her parents, obviously we must be biased. Her trust is a fragile thing, but I've been able to build it up gradually by being open and honest with her. If she catches me using "psych" methods on her, the trust will be shattered.
Another side benefit is that, the few times I do resort to this sort of thing, she doesn't see it coming.
On an everyday basis, I have to deal with her from the position of an eternal optimist, which is contrary to my own nature, so it's quite exhausting. But she has such a powerful, negative self-talk that I have to provide an equally positive counterweight. If I'm positive, and she tries and fails, it's my fault, and I have some explaining to do.
This kid felt awesome about herself... until she went to school... sigh.
