My 8 year old son goes through phases of extreme emotional upset over what I consider little things. He'll go a couple of months without much crying, then suddenly go a couple of weeks where the smallest things make him cry. I am extremely frustrated right now because of two episodes that occured in the last two days while at school. Yesterday at our school's book fair, I told him he could not get a poster, that we were there to buy books only. After asking and asking, and me saying no, he started to cry. Then he wanted a reference book for his video games, except it didn't contain any info on the games we own, so I said no it would be a waste of money. Again, he started to cry. While in line to pay, he still argued with me all the while still crying in front of the other kids and my mom friends. When we got home, I was so very angry. I told him he would not receive the books that he'd picked out because of his behavior and ungratefulness. I explained to him that many other kids don't get to participate in the book fair either because their parents are too tired from work or just don't care. I grounded him for a week. Today as I picked him up from school, a friend who happens to be the "parent lunch helper" approached me and said there was lots of "drama" with my son today. She said she found him in a corner of the cafeteria, crying and out of control, gasping for his breath that he couldn't even tell her what the problem was. After he caught his breath he told her that he was short .50 cents for lunch so he was denied a full lunch (my husband gave him the wrong amount). He told her they were out of the "oops" lunch, so all he had were carrots and milk. And that's how she found him, in the corner, crying inconsolably, all the other kids staring at him. She loaned him a dollar, took him to the front of the line and asked for his usual cheese pizza but by then they were out of that. The lady serving grabbed him by the arms and said "get control of yourself." I am at my wits end that I don't even know what is an appropriate reaction anymore. He's forgotten his lunch money before and he's been OK. He's been upset like that once before in class when he got in trouble (the teacher felt so bad). He's a bright boy, very artistic and creative, plays baseball, has many friends, is funny and very affectionate with us and his little brother. I can't understand why he doesn't get embarrased to lose control like that in front of his peers. I don't think he cares what others think when they see him at his age crying like a baby. It embarrases the heck out of me because I believe that at age 8, he should have grown out of that and we could enjoy a more mature relationship with him. I can be a little restrictive and over-protective, maybe too involved. Please help me make sense why the tears flow so easily?? Personally, I've never seen other 8 year olds react like this. Please help me understand. Any advice would be appreciated