Need help with handling five-year-old DS's angry outbursts
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(30 Posts)
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DS - who, for the most part, I'm not too worried about - has a temper which stumps my disciplining capacity. Once he has blown, he is so full of venom towards me, and thrashes about around the house, and I feel at a loss as to how to handle it.
Specifically, I need some help with what happened this morning:
- DS was up in the night for a while, which tired us both out
- He woke up too late to play/watch TV before school
- DS was furious about this, snarling at me that it was my fault for not getting up
- He called me stupid (a no no as far as I'm concerned)
- I told him, calmly, that a stupid mum can't help him get dressed or get a drink
- I said when he could treat me respectfully, I would help him
- He told me to bugger off, twice
- He spend the rest of the morning (not long by this time!) slamming doors, sulking and snarling
- I tried to keep my distance
- I said I would think today about what I would do about how rude he was this morning
- He sulked his way to school (for which we were late), where I left him
So when he gets home, what do I do about this? Because it was about TV, I'm inclined to say none for the rest of the day - with the message being that, when you try and bully your way into getting something, as he did this morning, well, you just don't get it.
In the moment, I have tried restraining - when he's in wrecking-the-joint mode - and it makes things ten times worse. I have tried redirecting him to expressing his anger healthily - pretty futile. I have told him it's OK to be cross/grumpy but not to take it out on me/the house. I bang on about respect ...
But otherwise, I don't really know what to do. I try to stay calm (which I don't always manage, because the rudeness and lack of respect make my blood boil). I don't want to allow myself to be terrorised. But really, nothing's changing.
Any advice? Thanks.
Think my DS is what they call an explosive child does anyone have any experience on using technique callled 'Plan B'
hi scrumplet,hows it going??
Hope ds gets to see Up this weekend


good plan for now!
hi hells,
I Know!! belive me! i didnt even know what it was untill he came home from his dads the other weekend.
But am very surprized by the effect it is having,if were not sat watching it with him he shouts through to kitchen to ask if he is allowed to do what evea henry is doing in that episode luaghing his head off to it!
And my answer is always 'no' and if he even thinks about it,he crnt watch it ever ever ever again,while laughing.
We told him its abig boys prog and that only big boys who are good can watch it!
It wont work forever,but its ok for now.
KI - that's what I was trying to say - but you said it so much better

But Horrid Henry?!?? I've 'hidden' those books - DS was finding them rather too inspiring! After all the hero is naughty and perfect peter is portrayed as such a bloody wet!
hi, and well done!! We have just gone through the same behaviour but not as much or as angrey. now were back to a normal(hate that word!!) average behaviour,my mum asked if she could give me some advice and that she wished some one would ahvw told her wen she was a new mum. Its to try and make a joke if you see the naughtyness(not sure what other word fits the bill).
ie,
My son has just got into a prog called horrid henry on citv, bout a little boy is a bugger(to be honest) and very cheeky. in this programme is a girl who lives next door called 'moody margreat'.(who s moody at time ana rite girl) If a ask my ds to do something and he says no or is just kicking off for no reason, I give him a cheeky smile and say ' your never moody margreat are ya??' and laugh and he protests this laughing and then it back to the job in hand.
Dont why it works but is does and we base it round all other aspects of day to day life now.
also saying 'i bet ya crnt do that can ya' light hearted and joking as friends do to each has shown a good one to.
Not sureif this is for you,but for us it sure beat arguing all the time.
good luck x
wow! Sounds like you really handled it well - and tbh he sounds like a lovely and thoughtful little boy with the way he is responding to your guidance.
And as SMee says small boys do this wiht both parents too - mine does!
Only other thing I would say is sometimes in the morning (when we are in a rush) I pick my battles with DS (6) . If something he does isn't 'terrible' - just morning grumpiness I don't make a thing of it - or I just defuse it with a joke or smile...and it stops it becoming a big set to....with him usually releasing how daft he's been.
But that isn't really relevant here as it sounds like you dealt beautifully with the situation.
Yes, that's true smee
Scrumplet, yeay from me too. You sound like a fab mum. I just wanted to say you mentioned that you're a single parent and that he's like it with you, not with his dad. Just wanted to say don't let that guilt you. Small boys are like this with both parents present - mine certainly is. He challenges you most because you're the one he can feel safe with, so it's like an inverted compliment! My boy is mostly only like it with me, even though DH lives with us. He's just not around as much, so I get the brunt of DS's challenges.