attention, good or bad, is all they want. its degree of goodness or badness is irrelevant to them. that's why you should pay attention to your little whiney-ass just long enough to explain in as few little short sentences as possible, that you that won't do anything he wants unless he learns the proper way to ask. and maybe even then, tell him that he still might not get what he wants. make sure he understand that whining of crying or acting out is a guarantee that he is not getting anything.