professional help in helping my child manage his emotions

[calmseeker]

My child is 4 and a half. He is an only child. He has from a fairly early age always reacted strongly and physically to upsets and disagreements. He is like most children more likely to shout, scream etc when he is tired. Last night he was very tired and was completely out of control. This is unusual. However small day to day things like being asked to turn of the TV ( I always give him a reasonable warning and allow him to finish watching a programme if it is not too long) provoke aggressive outbursts. He is often loud and argumentative when we are out in public. I feel I have let him down and would like some help so that I can give him some positive and practical skills in situations which he finds difficult. Does anyone have any ideas which don't involve an extensive wait. I am able to pay for help. I do not expect an instant fix and am committed to working with my child. I live in West London.

[HolidayCriminal]

heck if I know, but I feel your pain.

[NaturalBaby]

How much of a choice and control do you give him? You can set limits and get him to be in control as well with a timer for the t.v - if he's allowed 30mins then put a countdown clock where he can see it. Talk to him about how much time he's allowed and get him to agree about how much time he's allowed.
I have done a lot of reading from websites like hand in hand parenting, calmer easier happier parenting, how to talk so your kids listen. There are also links on facebook pages for seminars and training that parents can do, or you can google. I find this style of parenting very effective - I also have a very argumentative, independent 4yr old and these strategies have worked well with his outbursts. He is quite bright and has very good language skills so it's easy to talk and reason with him. For more difficult situations he responds well to sticker reward charts. School has been fantastic for him - he responded very well to a strict and structured routine. T.v and tablet/computer time is his favourite activity but his behaviour does deteriorate significantly afterwards so I try to avoid it.

[rhetorician]

Yes agree with natural baby clarity, making him feel like he has a stake in the decision making (not At all the same thing as letting him do as he wants), trying to avoid escalating disputes. Sometimes I tell dd (5) what she is to do, give her time to comply, but if she kicks off I often just walk away, withdraw attention. It's tough, but you haven't lye home down, you just need strategies. The resources in the post above are helpful, pick n mix for you, your son. Also you should be aiming at improving things, not a 100% solution. Won't happen...