Kids remember every promise. “Later” means something to someone who’s eight.

A child has no way to weigh your reasons. All they hold is the thing you said and whether it happened, and later means very little to someone who cannot yet picture next Saturday. That is why a small broken promise lands harder on them than it would on you. They are not being dramatic, they are missing the context that makes waiting bearable.

Say less and then do it. If you cannot commit, say that plainly instead of offering a vague maybe. When you do promise, attach it to an actual day.