Good morning all and happy New Year. I'm having some difficulties with my DS, 10. Our evening routine has become more and more stressful over the years. We tend to chill as a family and try and watch a film/something family orientated on the t.v. My eldest DS claims to only like action films. Recently he said he hates, yes, HATES Christmas films. He won't even entertain anything other than action films. I have another DS, 9, who is very compromising. Ready to give things a go that he doesn't know about or hasn't seen. He's very open minded and happy to check new things out. My eldest however, will not compromise, give new things, literally 30 seconds sometimes before he's decided he doesn't want watch it. This is not the problem really. The problem is that when this happens, he just sits there saying "can we not watch this" over and over. My DH try and be calm, saying things like "come on, give it a bit longer", etc., etc. He just gets louder and louder, eventually either screaming and storming out but sitting on the stairs wailing so we can all hear him, tipping the coffee table over (last night). He always says he's sorry the next day but he will not talk about it to find a way around this problem. He also refuses to go and entertain himself saying everything is boring, he doesn't like anything etc., etc. He has become very negative about himself, has very low self-esteem and is extremely sensitive. I feel like he's given up on himself. He seems to have no self-control over this behaviour. He unfortunately seems to be one of those children who enjoys winding people up in a negative way, wonders why I and DH get pissed off, then cannot handle that we are cross with him and not immediately giving him a cuddle when he's spent half an hour winding me up. TBH, i just don't get him but I really want to help him. He could argue in a room on his own. He's very sensitive, incredibly stubborn with a delicate ego, defiant, strong willed, intelligent and can be very caring and sensitive to me and others but rarely his brother, who this is affecting. He seems to lack empathy. Even though he's only 10 I would expect more empathy. His brother is 9 and has plenty. I do not love one more than the other, but one is definitely easier going than the other. Any advice lovely people, would be much much appreciated? What do you all do of an evening?