Need help with ds behavior

[elight23]

My newly four year old ds has a bad habit of blowing raspberries with his tongue sticking out at anyone he disagrees with me, grandparents, ect. I generally tell him that I feel that is a disrespectful response to whatever it is that bothered him and that it makes me feel however - to no avail. I have tried discussing why he does it - to give himself a sense of power, to blow off steam ect.
It really bothers me when he does it to his grandparents, as it seems so very disrespectful. Many parents would slap a child for doing something like that over and over. (I would never dream of it myself and when in the presence of grandparents this makes me feel uncomfortably passive (not that I don't hit him, just that I don't yell or wisk him off to his room or something). - His grandma today offered to him to fly him home with her to take him to 'camp' after receiving the tongue gesture. When i asked her about it she said she meant camping, but I know she meant discipline him when I wouldn't be there to prevent whatever.)

I am afraid to play around with it, which I have tried once, because I don't want him to think it's funny - I want him to not do it, to find less offensive way to handle his dissatisfaction. I have also tried ignoring it, but that doesn't feel right. Is this just another one of those continue to communicate my feelings about it until he outgrows it behaviors, or is this something that he'll continue to do for months or years if I don't come up with a solution?

Any ideas or experience with nipping this type of behavior in the bud would be greatly appreciated. I want to feel authoritative and not passive with this one, but don't quite know how...

Thanks!

[JL83]

That sounds like a bathroom behavior to me. In our house the child would be required to go to the bathroom (and helped there if necessary) every time they made that noise and encouraged to do it infront of the mirror with the door closed. They would be welcome to join the rest of the people when they were prepared to be respectful.

[gsd1amommy]

In this house, spitting (which this habit of his really is) equals sitting. It is a swift scoop up and removal to sit somewhere where others are not. Spitting in someone's face is disrespectful, disgusting and spreads germs and I have told both of my sons exactly that.
We are dealing with the "raspberries" this week in my 2.5 year old who has hand, foot and mouth. He isn't however spitting in our faces. He is just trying to relieve the mouth pain.

[Adasmommy]

My dd used to scream, "No!" whenever someone offered her something she didn't want. I would mildly reply, "Was that a no, thank you?"

Then she would usually calm down and agree that it was a no, thank you.

It's like she thought someone was being mean whenever they didn't accurately predict her every inclination. Kids!

Anyway, she got over it. I imagine the raspberries will pass too, and hopefully (for your sake) soon! I totally get your discomfort!