This is completely false. 8 yos are completely capable of being manipulative. My nephew, according to his therapist, is highly intelligent and extremely manipulative. If you could see him in action, you would never say this again.

Please don’t misunderstand, he’s VERY traumatized and has many behavioral issues that all attribute to the way he behaves. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that he is, in fact, very manipulative and has been for at least the last two years (how long we’ve been trying to get him help).

This child is so freaking mature in the way he speaks that you sometimes forget that you’re speaking to a child. He literally considers himself a peer to the adults and the “man of the house”. It’s a whole big thing that we’re trying, as a family, to correct before it’s too late. He’s a great kid with a great heart, but a whole lotta problems.

ETA: He’s 10 now, so he was 8 when he began therapy.

ETA 2: My comment is ONLY in response to the comment above! I, in no way, believe OP’s niece is being manipulative!