My 5 year old son (will be six in 2 months) has always been a delightful child. For the past 5 years, I've told him if all kids were like him, I'd have 100 kids. He's just a joy, or was until about 6 weeks ago. For the past 6 weeks, a couple times a week, he's been having complete and total breakdowns - temper tantrums that go for hours and I don't know what to do. I've tried everything - trying to hold him and soothe him, leaving him in his room, reasoning with him, punishing him by taking things away, etc... NOTHING WORKS, except perhaps ignoring him, just letting him go crazy but even that can last an hour or two. That said, it's not always possible to just let him go crazy as there are places we need to be or we're in public. I don't know what is causing my perfect child to suddenly be so out of control. It's about all different kinds of things too - nothing particular, except maybe consistently wanting his own way.
Here's my biggest problem - he's refusing to go to school, and so out of control that it's dangerous to even try to take him there. Once he's there, he calms down pretty quickly and has a great day. He tried to open the car door when it was moving, after unbuckling himself so he's a danger to himself when tantrumming. Once we get there, he continues to be out of control - but once we get him in the class and I run out, he stops crying and screaming within about 10 minutes and has a GREAT day at school. He comes home and is happy, and tells us about is good day at school. He's in Kindergarten but went to this same school last year, full day for Pre-K - and never got in trouble once so I don't think it's the teacher or school.
I don't know what to do! I just don't seem to have the skills to deal with him and am at my wit's end. I love him more than anything but I don't know what to do. I want to help him through this but nothing seems to work. HELP!