So tired of the screaming/crying!

[MeCo7707]

Yeah it may be a food issue....anytime I let my kids have corn syrup, red dye, or artificial sweeteners they are awful. I found that gluten effects them as well so we just avoid all that

[UVASahm]

The sentences thing is such a good idea!! My mom used to do this with us. I have really awesome handwriting and I remember hating every minute of it!

[leyash]

Originally Posted by UVASahm The sentences thing is such a good idea!! My mom used to do this with us. I have really awesome handwriting and I remember hating every minute of it!

Yeah. He doesn't mind it for the first 2-3 sentences. He's only 5, so after that he gets bored. I usually make him write for 15-20 minutes, instead of a set number of times. It will do the trick MOST of the time. But a lot of the time he just sits there and refuses to do it. Then what? That's my frustration. I will punish him for doing something, then he refuses to do the punishment. So what do I do, punish him for not doing a punishment? Ahhhh!

[dancermommy1]

Originally Posted by leyash Yeah. He doesn't mind it for the first 2-3 sentences. He's only 5, so after that he gets bored. I usually make him write for 15-20 minutes, instead of a set number of times. It will do the trick MOST of the time. But a lot of the time he just sits there and refuses to do it. Then what? That's my frustration. I will punish him for doing something, then he refuses to do the punishment. So what do I do, punish him for not doing a punishment? Ahhhh!

Then he sits until he does it. And if you can't wait that long (eg you have to go somewhere) then he resumes sitting when you return until he starts writing.

Eta: it can still be a food issue, tho not necessarily sugar. Can you keep a record of what he eats and compare good and bad days? Maybe you'll see a pattern?

[leyash]

Originally Posted by dancermommy1 Then he sits until he does it. And if you can't wait that long (eg you have to go somewhere) then he resumes sitting when you return until he starts writing. Eta: it can still be a food issue, tho not necessarily sugar. Can you keep a record of what he eats and compare good and bad days? Maybe you'll see a pattern?

I can, but honestly... there's been no real difference in days the last few weeks. It's progressively gotten worse since we got pregnant. He throws a fit about e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. It doesn't even matter what it is, he throws a fit about the smallest, biggest, most unimportant things EVER.

[homebirthmom]

yoohoo, hotdogs and chocolate milk arent all that healthy and he may be reacting to that alone. kids can have some major reactions to junk food. even food coloring.

also there is no way this child is learning his lesson is 5 minutes of time out. hes continuing to do it you say, so he needs more time in there. and if he falls asleep, hes tired or bored. does he have work books or projects to keep his mind busy? legos? blocks?
you will do what you wish but if you are asking for help, just let all this sink in so you can see there are lots of options. it just sounds like you are letting him get away with alot and he knows he can run all over you so its a vicious circle.

[nursenmom]

My 4 year old dd is going through this too. The past couple weeks she I swear has spent half her day in timeout or her room for a bad attitude or complete meltdowns. It can stem from anything and I'm pretty sure, at least for us, it doesn't have anything to do with food. I think it is just a stage that she goes through occasionally but ohmygosh! can it get on my last nerve. It's torturous to listen to it all.day.long.

Here's hoping this passes quickly for both of us!

[megenic]

I am right there with you mama. Since she turned 5 it's been major draaammmmma city. Sad face, whining, saying "all you ever want to do is make me SAD!" Oy!

The only thing I have found that helps is to be super silly when she gets the whinies and fussies. Like i will respond to her in a very exaggerated whine, complete with sad knuckles dragging on the floor and it usually gets her giggling and in a better mood. I learned that trick from the book Playful Parenting. Being playful is generally the last thing I feel like doing but it usually lightens the mood a bit :-)

I know you were looking to just vent and not give advice but sometimes I can't help myself. When mine complain about snack options I just say in a dull uninterested voice "okay, don't eat." and go about my business. That usually stops the complaining about food and they just eat whats there.

Okay, no more advice...I personally hate the screaming and whining and general drama queen stuff, so I can relate to what you're dealing with!

[dancermommy1]

If its been happening with your pregnancy maybe it's really an insecurity about the changes coming with a new baby...I'm not sure how to figure that our, but maybe try some one on one time talking to him about it? And then just consistency I guess, and giving a lot of positive attention any time he behaves respectfully.

Can you get his daddy to step in some too? Sometimes DH has to "protect me" from my emotional response to DS. My mom told me once that God gave us husbands to protect us from our kids (not sure what that says about me & my brothers, lol)

[leyash]

Originally Posted by homebirthmom yoohoo, hotdogs and chocolate milk arent all that healthy and he may be reacting to that alone. kids can have some major reactions to junk food. even food coloring. also there is no way this child is learning his lesson is 5 minutes of time out. hes continuing to do it you say, so he needs more time in there. and if he falls asleep, hes tired or bored. does he have work books or projects to keep his mind busy? legos? blocks? you will do what you wish but if you are asking for help, just let all this sink in so you can see there are lots of options. it just sounds like you are letting him get away with alot and he knows he can run all over you so its a vicious circle.

I don't have the money to send them to school with lunch. Chocolate milk and regular milk are his only options at school, and he had regular milk for breakfast.

He's obviously not learning his lesson in 5 minutes, but if I am consistent, he will. Even if it's 2 minutes. If he learns, "Man, if I do this, I have to go BACK to my room!" Then maybe he will get to the point where he won't do it. I just have to be consistent, which is what I've been doing.

He has plenty of things to keep him busy, but I am not going to let him do them while he's in his room, in timeout. He's in there for a reason, to think about what he did, not to play.

I don't see how I am letting him get away with a lot, when I am punishing him for MOST of what he is doing. My frustration is that even WITH everything that I am doing, he's not learning. I am starting to think that it's something more than him just wanting to act out... O.D.D. sounds like it might be an issue, per a friend with a child that has it. It also could be frustration due to a new baby coming. It could also be that he's tired. There's more to it than just "I want to misbehave." I'm trying to figure out what that something is.