HI I have a 8 year old son who I've been having so many issues with lately . I have tried everything from adding extra chores to taking away ps3< outside time ,TV time , I've tried timeouts AND LAST SPANKINGS I don't know what else to do . every other day he has a detention from school ! he steals from the store and take things without permission im at my last with all of this. We are a military family so I can understand things are hard from us moving away from family but I try my best to make sure I can do everything to make him happy we are now talking to a counselor and that still hasn't been working we have had plenty of meeting with school staff and counselors I don't know what else to do any advice helps
Have you tried structure? He sounds like he doesn't know which end is up and everyone is just expecting him to. Sometimes the easy solution is to sit down and ask the child, so how do we fix this.
doozy of a first question.
I guess I will state the obvious. Have you taken him to a clinical psychologist? This doesn't sound in the least normal 8 year old behavior.
Acting out often means something deeper lies with in. I would take him to a licensed doctor and stop with the counselors.
What kind of counselor have you seen?
Read The Kadzin Method for Parenting Your Defiant Child. It's an excellent book that can help you get behavioral changes quickly. There's a difference between punishment and discipline and this book will teach discipline.
Beyond that, you need to find out what's going on with him. If the counselor you're working with isn't helping or isn't qualified, try another and another until someone helps.
It truly sounds like he's desperately trying to get his parents attention. I suggest which ever parent is absent serving, they need to make sure they are spending as much time with this boy as possible. Whether it on the computer, phone, face to face via the internet, or in the same room. He is screaming for someone to notice him and spend some time with him.
If dad is serving and doing everything he can but isn't there then perhaps this boy might benefit from having a "Big" through the Big Brothers/Big Sister program.
Updated
Have you spoken the your sons doctor or to a psychiatrist? My daughter has ODD and our doctor finally put her on Meds which have helped quite a bit. Also can you speak TO your child and not AT him? It's hard, I know, oh how I know that. I fought the meds for a really long time but now that my daughter is 10, it's time and I have to think of how she will be as a teenager. Just food for thought.
