anger

[nik07]

besides meds what can i do to control my sons anger issues he gets upset at little things can i or should i place him in recreational activities to keep him going and not so focused on being upset when things don't go his way

[Mommy3Girls]

I am not a fan of meds either. It took me a year and half of debating to put my daughter on anything. Something you may want to think about is pediatric counseling. With the way the counselor interacts with them, sometimes the child naturally brings out why they are upset, or will show certain behaviors that the counselors can pinpoint certain problems. If you were here where I live I would recommend a good one for you. Give it some thought. That could be a heathy step for your son. And with his age, i dont know that anyone would try to put him on meds first anyways. Sometimes that's a stage they have to grow out of too. Its hard to say, but I would try the counseling once a week. I dont know if you have insurance or state assistance or anything like that, but most will take one or the other.

[nik07]

he is 3 yrs old and his tantrums happen where ever we go i have a timeout chair for him but it does not work he hardly ever listens at all its like he is constantly pushing my buttons and i don't know what to do i have him on 0 medications right now i'm not a big fan of them but i do know i have to get this resolved right away before school starts next year

[Mommy3Girls]

Couple questions for you first:
Does he only get that way at home?
My daughter is in counseling now. She just started a couple weeks ago. We are working on her with her defiance and opositional issues.The counselor said to be comforted by the fact that if a child is releasing anger and sadness at home its because they do so in an environment that they feel "safe" in.

Is he already on meds for anything?
My daughter is on Concerta for ADHD, and we have found her being overly defiant, and I read some other comments about children with ODD (Opositional Defiant Disorder),it was amazing. IT described my daughter perfectly.

Some things we are trying with my daughter(on recommendation from the counselor): When he throws the tantrums, grab him and hug/hold him until he can calm down. Then talk with him and ask him what is wrong and why he is so upset. It could be something much deeper than the little issue at hand, and he may not even know why he is so upset.

My daughter has stated that when she needs to calm down she just wants time alone in her room so she can vent and cool down. The counselor said to try that if that is what she is asking for.

I dont know about the recreational acitivities: I am deciding that myself. My fear there is that she will have the same issues there, or that she will hurt someone there. I am still deciding myself, so if anyone has any ideas for either of us, please help.

[moonbeammomma]

Hi - how old is your son?  I am dealing with some anger and tantrum issues with my 4 yo son.  It is ok to get angry, but they need to learn how to let the anger go.  How to do that really depends more on your son's age and temperment than anything else (or at least that's what I've been told).