caleb

my son is four going to be 5 in february of next year. he is very hyper without having juice, soda or candy. and i can't see to break him out of it.. is something wrong with him that i have to go carry him to a doctor and check it our or will it just change as he get's older. now if he he is told to go sit down or behae he gets angry and throws a tantrum or gets violent with his cousins who is 14 and 11 and he hits them and throw things at them... what am i to do with him, keep punishing him or wait til he changes

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

You would be making a mistake to wait. Have him evaluated by a pediatric mental health professional. Even if he does not display any emotional disorder, the clinician can guide you about how to manage the behavior. For your use at home, a very reliable guide is Lynn Clark's book SOS Help for Parents (see sosprograms.com).