When it comes to getting exactly what they want, it's the kids who call the shots. Whether they're after an extravagant Christmas present, a pair of high heels or freedom itself, a new generation of savvy children are developing increasingly sophisticated methods of getting their own way.

This programme observes some accomplished young negotiators in action and, with the help of behavioural psychologists, exposes their secret strategies. Five-year-old Courtney slips toys into the supermarket trolley without her mother knowing, while 15-year-old Maryam sends her parents on a guilt trip and gets her little sister to help.

Will the six boys in the Campbell family exploit their mother's soft touch to get the designer labels they desperately want, even though money is tight? Will Jacobi and Bianca's tears get them the gold shoes of their dreams? Behavioural psychologists give advice on how to combat the "gimme gimme" generation and highlight the difficulties that parents face today.