Son 6.5, has regular tantrums. Weekly and we arent very good at preventing them and worse at talking him down from them. He can almost never be talked down from a tantrum, he has to do a full circle. Usually an hour or so long.
5pm dinner time (early but we all start the day early, go to bed early etc - this is rules by the kids, what works best for them).
DS refuses to eat dinner, says his tummy hurts (this old chestnut), was fine when he had an ice lollie and hr before, and seemed fine when playing out with friends before dinner.
So I tell him to lay on the sofa, or if its bad, go to bed and I'll come up after my dinner.
He chooses sofa but shouts and screams when I say no to TV. (im not having tv distract his brother further and neither have dinner).
After 30 mins DS decides that he does want his dinner, so we are behind schedule and that usually means adorable tantrums from him at bed time.
He finishes dinner, and starts screaming that he doesnt want bed time and he wants more TV.
I say that we arent getting into a row, we are going up, running a bath and he can join us or not.
30 more mins of him screaming from down stairs 'come and get meeeeee' im not having a bath etc etc etc
Hes had sun cream on so we say baby wipes if no bath. And bath in the morning.
More screaming and shouting.
his dad puts on a fun 'baby wipe monster/tickle monster' persona to get it done. DS screams and shouts. (He would have done without the babywipe monster).
Refuses to get undressed or let us undress him. Refuses to brush his teeth.
Constant screaming and shouting.
I settling his brother.
I go to DS's room to see DS on his coverless bed (hes kicked them off) kicking his dad in his back and screaming. His dad has his back turned, arms folded riding it out, Ive heard him try and calm him down for ages. Hes resorted to 'waiting out the tantrum'
I tell his dad to go dowmstairs and have a breather while Im take over.
Another 30 mins and the only way to placate him is with pencils and paper.
It works, he sleeps.
But not before saying to me "Mum, next time I, naughty at bed time can we do drawings again?"
The bloody drawings added a good half an hour on, NO im not doing it every bed time.
Im at a fricking loss because BOTH out children are very needy for completely different reasons and I camt be doing for 2 hour long bed times ending with only 30 mins of drawing.
Im the midst I tried distracting him with an errand. I read that worked.
It didnt.