Asking for EVERYTHING

I think it's sad that Niki assumes that he isn't being taught this concept at home. Everyone has to blame parents for kid's annoying behaviors. Really, maybe he is being taught about it, maybe he isn't. But all you can do is keep firm about it. Really, it sounds like pretty normal behavior to me for his age.

Just explain, the toys don't belong to him and he doesn't need to be getting new toys all the time anyways, just tell him that straight up. Shoot, I would tell him that his constant whining for toys is annoying and he will get one when he least expects it as a reward for good behavior.

This is one of my pet peeves- I hate, HATE it when parents don't teach their kids to not be imposing on other people- to wait until you are offered something, etc. I would be horrified if I found out that my child was acting this way.

Since clearly your nephew is not being taught this concept at home, it would do him good for his sweet aunt to teach him that it is not polite to ask things like that- you wait until you are offered.

I've discovered that I can pick something out of the air and they'll often giggle and be satisfied.

Example:
Kid: "I want a hat."
Me: "Well, you can't have that one, but I see a bunch of invisible ones floating around. I see one with orange spots, and one with flashing green lights and one with a fish on it. What kind of hat do you want?"
Kid: "Ummmmm. A green one!"
Me: "Okay." (mime leaping forward and grabbing something from the air) "Here you go!"

Often, they seem to just want the experience of asking for something and being told yes. They don't really want the object.

This actually works for all kinds of things. I've been known to use invisible bandaids when I don't have any real ones. Invisible bandaids are especially good for bruises.

By 6 years old both of my boys and most of their friends had a very clear understanding of ownership. They knew not to ask for other people's things, and knew not to ask other people to buy things for them. They were beginning to learn about money and the value of the dollar. My youngest is 7 now, and he has been figuring out how much things cost and how to save money so he can buy things for himself for quite some time now.

In your situation since this is not your child, when he asks for your daughter's toys, I would simply say, "I'm sorry, but that belongs to _____ , but you may play with it while you are here." If he asks you to buy things, just tell him he'll have to ask his parents.

Since my kids were born, our home has been play date central.
Lots of kids over all the time. Of all ages.

I have.... never had a kid, come over and ask to keep my kids' toys, nor take any of my kids toys on the way out the door.
For kids I have babysat, or my kids' friends, they have never asked me incessantly to buy them anything. They have had manners. And certainly at age 6.

This is my petri dish experience.

If a kid did do that at my home or to my kids' things, I would simply explain to the child that that is rude. You do not "keep" other people's things. Nor take it. It belongs to them, not you.
A 6 year old can understand that.

My nearly 4 yr old grand daughter jumps with glee when she sees toys, food, animals, clothes on tv or in stores and says "I want that grama, I want that, and that and that".. I think its normal to want, but I say "nope it isnt for us today", or sometimes I say,"yes that is really pretty, but maybe another time". When she asked to take home a toy from a neighbors house I told her "no, it isnt yours, you dont take other peoples things. Its called stealing and isnt nice".. She rarely asks now. Neighbor kids have also come to play and asked to take things home and I tell them "no, it isnt theirs and you cant have it." And I smile and tell them they can come back another time to play with it. Its something they will learn if you just tell them it isnt right to take.

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I agree with Momma L., it doesn't necessarily mean his parents aren't teaching it. Your nephew is well just a kid and kids really don't know better most of the time. My nephew who is 7 came home from school one day after trading a homemade comic book for a really cool spiderman toy. My SIL found out and marched his butt back to school to take the spiderman toy back to his friend. Its not the first time something like this happened either. And my SIL is always right on top of it.

When your nephew asks for the toy, tell him no, he may not have any of your daughters toys as the toys are meant for her not him. If he questions it anymore from that point on, have a t talk with him on how he would feel if your daughter wanted to take his toys home?

When at the store and he asks for the toy, say today I am not buying toys for you but I will keep that toy in mind when its your birthday, Christmas...etc.

Yeah, my son asks for stuff all the time, but no means no. With that said it does not mean tantrums do not come with when he is really passionate about it. My son is 4, he asks for anything that peaks his interest. My rule of thumb is if over a few weeks to a month's time he is still asking for xyz with the same vigor and not just when someone mentions it or he sees/hears a commercial about it then it's something he really wants. It took a month of him showing that none of his stuffed animals were anything like a pillow pet; I finally ordered him one and he does like to cuddle with it, it was a good buy!

My daughter used to ask to keep things from her friend's house, but that was at 3 or 4. She is almost 6 and never does it anymore.

I think it's less about age and more about how boundaries are set at home. I have twin nieces who are 7 and they are worse than ever about this. They have 2 younger siblings, so needless to say, their parents are a bit distracted. But there are very few boundaries set at their house, and no doesn't necessarily mean no. Which isn't a good lesson. We just spent a weekend together in a condo and the girls would come into our room, rifle through my things, and take whatever they wanted (my cell phone, my kids things, I still can't find one necklace of mine). So annoying! I love them but it's terrible that I can't trust them right now. I know it's not their fault so I try to teach them without coming down on them about it and making them feel too bad. But the lesson needs to come from somewhere or there will certainly be bigger trouble later on.

When my daughter asks for us to buy her stuff, I tell her to put it on her birthday list. Now she'll say "I want that for my birthday!" and I'll tell her to ask for it from Grandma or something.

When at the grocery store, she is allowed to pick out one thing (drink, snack, cereal, etc) and that is all. Last week she picked out some juice boxes and then saw chocolate covered donuts and put the drink back! Worked so well without any fights!

We also don't go out a ton to the mall or toy stores (or even Walmart where she'd see the toys) and her cartoons don't have commericals so she doesn't seen a ton of toys anyways!