Angry 5 year old

[southeastastra]

today he shouted out that he hated me in tesco, because i wouldn't go where he wanted to. he seems to have an incredibly short fuse and gets so angry. loads of people looked at me as if i were totally incapable. i'm so sick of his tantrums.

Your son is probably just trying you - my little girl did the same thing and I was always treading on egg shells when we went out (especially to Tesco!). I gave her her own shopping list and asked her to help me find things, put the fruit and veg in the bags and played eye spy as we went around. I know it'll take longer but it did work. When it got really bad, before I'd tried the above method, I shopped at Tesco online! Perhaps give him a choice of what to look for on the shelves (milk or yoghurts) but no more than 2 things. They like being able to choose. Now my daughter (4) behaves beautifully as we go round and my son (20 months) generally behaves well, although he's just started whinging about being in the trolley. I just open the croissants and let him munch away!!!

thank you for replying. yes i suppose he is testing me, but to the limit at the moment. i suppose it's because of half term he really needs the routine of school. ho hum

DD is also an angry 5 year old, although most of the time she is really happy, she does have a short fuse. So does DP, which I expressed concern about to him recently, as I felt he was setting a bad example. Now he has got her counting to 10 when she gets angry or starts shouting, and it does seem to stop her in her tracks. (He's doing the same himself as well.) I still find distraction helps too.

I read somewhere that the reason you might feel like the only person whose child is exploding in Tescos is because all the others have been left at home!

My friend came round this week withher 6 year old, and 4 year old, and said she was really fed up with hers this week, as it was half term week, and they seemed very fed up and grouchy. I think it's just the change of routine etc.