Question
Our 7-year-old son is home for summer with our 2-year-old and 2-month-old. I've noticed him acting manipulative and greedy. For example, when the two-year-old gets up from his nap he will tell him in front of me: "guess what? mom said we can go get ice cream today!" He knows that I don't like to upset the 2-year-old (who has had a hard time adjusting to being a big brother). And usually the "new" he is sharing with the 2-year-old is something we had talked about but didn't commit to. And I'll have to say: "MAYBE we are doing XYZ" or "No, that isn't happening." And it causes confusion for the 2-year-old, smirk from the 7-year-old and frustration for me. Secondly, our 7-year-old is constantly justifying that he needs new things. "Mom, I need a new helmet. This one is broken." Or "I really need a fan because I get hot when I play outside." I'm tired of saying "you don't need these things" or showing him that it's a minor break and can be fixed.
