My 7 year old goes through stages (usually a week to a month) when he has tantrums or meltdowns multiple times per day. They vary in length and intensity. His new phrase is "that is so mean!" When we give a consequence (like no screentime the rest of the day). At times they intrude on important times such as bedtime, me leaving for work or leaving for school. Tonight for example, he had a 2hour tantrum because he lost coloring at bedtime as punishment. He kept saying "you hurt my feelings, I'm still sad, what can you do?" I assured him that I still loved him but that he had to go to bed. He was also interfering with a special reward (TV show) his older brother had earned. Another time, he was an hour late for school because he couldn't have the breakfast he wanted. Outside of these stages, he is extremely pleasant and agreeable. We use reward systems and removal of privelages as consequences. How do I balance his feelings with the need to do our daily tasks and without punishing his brother?
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