At Wits End

[everettdaddy]

My eldest boy is causing us great distress. We are a gentle discipline type family. I was raised in a strict household, but it was not a physical discipline.

He lashes out at everything, he was premature, and has communication issues. We are afraid that one day he will hurt one of the other children and I am secretly hoping that I am the one that he goes off on first. But that is my sick and twisted nature.

Still, we don't know how to handle his outbursts. He will be playing fine with the other kids, then BAM... he explodes and singles out one of them and is very cruel and mean to them.

How can one help him communicate his feelings better?

[Freud]

Sorry you're going through this. You might want to read "The Explosive Child" by Dr. Ross Greene.

[everettdaddy]

I will look into that... Thank you for the suggestion.

[plunky]

Don't really have anything to offer you, my kid is still an infant.

You might want to post this question in the Parenting or Gentle Discipline forums, or look around in there for a similar situation.

[TexasTomboy]

How old is he exactly?

How old are the other children?

What exactly does he do when he "lashes out"?

[everettdaddy]

Originally Posted by TexasTomboy

How old is he exactly?

How old are the other children?

What exactly does he do when he "lashes out"?

He is Nine... 6 (Sister), 3 (Developmentally Delayed Brother), 2 (Brother)...

He screams and says very hurtful things to everyone.. One of his qoutes is "I am never.... (Enter what the situation is) again"

"I hate you"

"I don't love you"

[TexasTomboy]

I know they've already suggested stuff in the other forum. I think at 9 it should be totally possible to sit down at neutral moments and try to ask him what he's feeling.