Friday, September 13, 2013

Dealing With An Almost Nine-Year-Old

It is still five months away from my son's ninth birthday but I could already feel the change in his attitude. Oh yes, there are still a few moments when he is sweet but more often than not he is challenging how far my patience would go.

I read from an article in a parenting magazine that most boys turn from sweet to rough when they turn nine years old. They start to exhibit foul behavior characterized by crude talk, potty humor, random screaming and pushing people around. I kind of notice the 'screaming' with my son particularly when he cannot have things his way. It  says there that such behavior has to be haunted down to its very root cause which could be heart issues that are difficult to deal with for boys.

 If it is not a heart issue, medical problems could be possible reasons. Mayo Clinic, in one of its articles, related that attention disorder is a primary cause of disruptive behavior among boys and this must be arrested through the help of some medications and psychological therapies.

Should the cause be neither of the two, boys of this age and behavior must be dealt with consistency and firm enforcement of rules. The goals: that they would know and follow authority.