Mate choice involves intense manipulation between the parties involved. This research investigates the manipulation tactics that individuals use in two different scenarios, namely, in order to keep a distance from their mates' parents and in order to secure their help in maintaining an intimate relationship with their children. Study 1 found 29 acts that individuals used to keep the parents of their mates at a distance and 22 acts that individuals used to secure the help of their mates' parents in maintaining a relationship with their children. Study 2 employed a sample of 352 individuals and classified the former in six and the latter in two distinct manipulation tactics. Study 3 employed a sample of 306 parents to assess the effectiveness of the different manipulation tactics.