discipline

My doctor recommended a book called 1-2-3 Magic to me when I has having problems with my daughter. It really helped a lot. Basically it just tells you ways to get you child to "start" doing things you want them to do with positive things and praise, and to get the to "Stop" doing things by counting and giving them "Time Out" I laughed when I read it, think yeah right, my daughter isn't going to do this, but surprisingly if you use it and stay consistent with it it really does work.

I'm not a big fan of James Dobson. In fact, he scares me. But a long time ago, before he got all political, he wrote a really good book called Dare to Discipline. If you read that book, and do what it says, you'll see a world of difference. You can't let your son train you. You have to train him. When he misbehaves, there have to be consequences. The more logical the consequences are, the better it will work. By that I mean if he doesn't eat his dinner, he doesn't get dessert. If he throws a temper tantrum, he goes to his room where you don't have to hear him. Persistence is a huge key. It's easy to give in and give up, but when you do, he learns that he is the boss. You have to win, every time.

I would designate a chair, a mat on the floor, or a corner of a room to be the time out spot. He gets one warning and then it's in the time out place, one minute for each minute of his age. If he leaves put him back, again, and again, no matter how long it takes, until he stays for the four minutes. You may have to put him back two dozen times at first, but he'll evenutally learn that you mean business. Don't talk to him or look him in the eye when you put him back, don't engage him at all, so he can't turn it into a game.

maybe he's lack of attention, care and love or maybe you should mingle and spend lots of time to know him. Make him feel that you're not only a father but a friend too

It's true you can't give up - you have to be consistent ... even if it takes all the energy you've got at the time. If you aren't consistent - he will always push. Our therapist said it's like gambling ... if you won all the time you'd stop playing ... if you lost all the time you'd stop playing ... but because you never know if you will win or lose, you never want to stop. It's the same with kids - if they sometimes 'win' with you, they will push, every tim. be strgon, be consistent. Decide on consequences for behaviours and follow through on them - even if he screams at you for an hour about it.