Why is it children know which buttons to press to get a reaction?

Why do they seemingly cry at the drop of a hat? 

 With parenting, comes stages and phases! Not all of them lovely and candy coated. 

 When kiddiewink 1 is in good form, she is an absolute delight and wonderful company; when she is ‘on one’ beware…

Kiddiewink 1 (nearly 7years old)is offering numerous challenges at the moment, mainly in that her attitude stinks! She speaks to us all like rubbish if the mood takes her and she has brief moments of being really mean to little man. If she doesn’t like the answer to something, she will persist on asking and asking and asking. Why do children assume the more often they ask and the whingier they get, the more likely they are to get it. She also cries at the drop of a hat, the slightest thing can bring her to tears (very toddlerish). Today’s list was; daddy sitting on the chair she had planned to sit on; not being allowed a club biscuit; being asked to give her baby sister a bit of space, her brother having a cuddle that was longer than hers.

Bless her, she is an absolute doting big sister,and, plays and looks after the other two beautifully. 

She just seems a bit sad at the minute and we seem to be in cycle of grotty attitude from her and nagging and ‘getting at’ by us  I think I need to find time to do something special with just her again. Making her feel loved, important and extra special.