My nearly 9 yo ds1 is extremely rude, uncooperative, generally unpleasant to us and his siblings.
He's always been hard work with a lot of tantrums for years and years since he was two years old.
We arranged for him to have counselling for two years. That helped. The counsellor said he was ready to not have counselling anymore.
Now he seems to be ramping up his behaviour. If he is told off or punished, he goes into utter hysterical meltdown.
It is totally bizarre. He knows what gets him a telling off or a punishment and yet he still totally goes for it. Every single day. Starting to think he really wants to trigger the beserk behaviour. It's like he's a mad.
He also seems to hurt my other dcs quite a lot. If they're in the garden, one of them ALWAYS comes in crying, saying he's hurt them. The dynamic changes when he starts to play with them.
Why? Whatever for? We just ignore it unless he's waking the other children. But it is extremely stressful and upsetting for the other dcs, as well us.
Can an 8 year old just not understand that if he behaves badly then he will get punished? I think he does know and he is trying to exert control.
He is so difficult. I hate being his parent.