Ex wife and I are really out of ideas here. Our 4 year old has recently started having crazy Temper Tantrums, hitting, thowing/breaking things, screaming.
Primarily when he is with me every other weekend, it comes down to going to sleep at night, or being told that he has to take a break from playing his lego game (though that is getting better). Last night, we talked a few hours before bed about how daddy has to get up early and take him to mommy's house (because I work weekdays) and that we needed to go to bed early, he promised up and down that he would listen and go to bed when I asked him to. Dinner then bathtime stuff all went fine, 8PM and I told him since he was good, that he could watch 2 of his 15-20 minute shows before bed. We watched the shows, I told him it was time for bed, then the screaming/crying begins. And the "I need to go potty, I'm hungry, I'm thirsty" stuff. I calmly told him, "Buddy, we talked about this, we need to get up early to go to mommy's house in the morning because I have to work" I let him obviously go to the restroom (which he did have to use), but no food or drink before bed, that has always been the rule in both our houses.
10:30 rolls around and he is still awake, fidgiting and playing with toys, I tell him that I will take his toys away if he does not go to bed, now the full blown throwing, screaming and crying comes. I ended up taking his Lego game away and hiding it (thining about just getting rid of it at this point). Finally he calms down after I ignore his little fit and an hour or so later he falls asleep. This happens every night he stays with me.
Cut to this morning, he woke up before me and my alarm clock (around 5am). No problems in the car with a 45 minute drive to Mommy's house.
Dropped him off and headed to work. Texted the Ex-Wife asking her if what I did was wrong (taking the game away) and she replied, "Nope, because we are having a heck of a morning". No idea what started it, but he was throwing things and breaking things. She was in her room, he was beating on her door with a Toy Guitar. When I left, he was trying on his Halloween costume for his Mother to show her what it looked like and seemed like he was in a great mood.
The other thing is hitting and biting all the sudden, when he is not at my place every other weekend, he is at her Grandparents house (she works weekend nights). Last weekend he started hitting her Grandmother, I do not know what the circumstances were at the time, but they are saying we need to get help now so he will not get labeled when he starts school.
He is a VERY smart and well spoken kid and has a crazy good imagination. I just don't know where this is coming from or how to calm this behavior. Any kind of advise would be greatly appreciated!
