My 6yr old is always throwing tandrums when he comes home from school. Why? Help please.?

Question

After school my 6yr old throws fits, gets upset at the littlest things and has a lot tandrums. Crys when something is bothering him but won't tell us whats wrong. Doesn't like it that food falls on the table, floor or on his clothes. Slurs his words when we ask him whats wrong. When he doesnt want to go to bed he brushes his teeth very aggressively. Sometimes hurting his gums. If he does something wrong and we poin it out to him he gets upset and starts hit himself. We are worried and scared that he will hurt himself severely one day. If anyone has any advice or suggestions we would great appreciate it. Our next step will be a child psychologist. Thank you all in advance.

Answer 1

Dont go running to the psychologist just yet. Try changing his diet. Cut out all sugar,junk food and processed foods. Give him lots of fresh fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean protein and water. Next you must discipline him the first time every time. He needs to know the behavior will not be tolerated. No TV or video games. Im betting the teacher runs a tight ship and he knows there will be a punishment for misbehaving. Good luck.

Answer 2

my bros like that

but he might have problems at school

or maybe somethings really upsetting him

like maybe he didnt get what he watned or

he just randomly changed

but you should ask him

Answer 3

dont go ok so not just adults have Long days so long they want to sleep and get grumpy so give him space

Answer 4

If everything else seems normal with your child's interactions with you, siblings and others then it probably is just blowing off steam after a long day.  Children can get stress from the rigid structure of school, the overstimulation from learning, or social interaction with peers and teachers and any combination of those.  If this normal stress is the problem- it is very likely that he just hasn't found any other way to relieve that stress than to act out.  Your best solution is to help him find ways to relieve that stress in better ways.  For example exercise or some play activities, take a walk, go to the park, swing or maybe the merry-go-round.  Another alternative is to just hold him for a bit after school.  It is important for you to help him find ways to comfort himself in appropriate ways because those are the coping skills he'll be using the rest of his life.  If, after a few weeks of various attempts, it still concerns you, see a liscensed therapist for more specific guidance.

Answer 5

is he like this on weekends or during school vacations?  Just wondering if this behavior is all the time or just after school.

if only after school, he is either very tired, something is upsetting him at school (bully), or he is having difficulty with the work/understanding whats going on.  He is so young, he is having a hard time expressing his frustrations with you.  try backing off of him a bit and just talk to him whenever he is calm and see if he will open up to you about what is bothering him.   He will, just give it time.  In the meantime, find out from his teacher how he is doing in class with the material, friends etc.

good luck

Answer 6

My nephew used to do the same when he came home from his dad's. We later found out about things going on there that we were clueless about.  I would definitely check with the school and try and find out if perhaps he's being bullied by other kids or if there is a teacher there that might be unfit.  I think that an overwhelming majority of the time, there is a real reason for a child behaving this way and what you say your child is doing is far beyond what would be considered normal behavior. I'm not a professional and certainly don't mean to scare you, but I really feel as though this could be a very serious problem and should be addressed as soon and vigorously as possible. You can never ask to many questions or check to much or many times when it comes to your child. Best of Luck to you.

Answer 7

I would definitely speak with your child's teacher and principal.  It sounds to me like there is something going on at school.  Whenever I speak with my son's (6 yrs old) teacher find out a lot of things that I never he did or was done to him.  Good Luck!

Answer 8

I would check with his teacher first to see if there is anything going on at school.  We had this issue with my 7 year old, especially with all day school.  What worked for us was having him have some downtime right after school.  Also, when he would throw a fit, instead of getting upset or punishing him, I would just sit with him and hug him and just try to be there for him.  Its amazing how much that helped.  And, believe me, it was counter intuitive to hug him and be there for him when he is screaming at me and even being mean.  But, it worked.  Also, don't be hesitant about the child psych.  We meet with one every so often for advice on how to handle different stages that both of our boys go through.  I see it as a strength... not a weakness... to ask for help.

Answer 9

He might just be tired after a long day at school.  Maybe you could have him go to his room for some "quiet time" after he gets home from school to rest a little bit.

Answer 10

He may be tired from a long day at school.  Or he may be having some trouble at school with another kid or the teacher or is uncomfortable with something at school.  Talk with the teacher and see if she can give some insight to what might be going on at school.

Answer 11

sounds like he is not coping at school. Talk to the teacher and ask what she is seeing and is he being bullied

Answer 12

Sounds like he is tired.  I'm thinking he has a television in his bedroom and this is causing the problems.  Children with television in their bedrooms lack decent REM/Recuperative sleep/rest and end up having problems.

Answer 13

It sounds like he's frustrated by something.  Over reaction to common occurrences is just cause for concern. The Doctor's visit seems to be in line as the next step. You might want to have his eyes checked. While this may seem strange, frustration at not being able to see what's written on the board  comes to mind. There is also the possibility that he is having hearing issues because of the slurred words. Aggressive brushing of the teeth is a new one to me though.