Page 211 - The Intentional Parent

When he gets mad or upset does he do self-destructive, impulsive things? It sounds like your son left his time out in a rage. Perhaps he was mad at himself for not being in control of his behavior, or maybe he was mad at you for making him take a time out. It is important for you to explain to your son that what he was saying was very serious, and very upsetting. When he is calmer, ask him again whether or not he is still feeling like he wants to hurt himself. Kids between seven and ten can go through periods where they stomp around, feeling sorry for themselves, and throwing temper tantrums, and then, in the middle of the tantrum, yell at everyone for treating them like a baby. This is fairly typical behavior. What isn't typical are long periods of depression and rage that are acted out against oneself. Impulsive, self-destructive behavior and verbalizations about wanting to commit suicide are a very dangerous combination. If you see or hear any of this, call your pediatrician immediately.
DEPRESSION
For the last six months my twelve-year-old daughter has been down in the dumps. She has stopped calling her friends and always complains about feeling awful. She really has quite a good life, so I don't understand what is going on with her. She is a good student but constantly refers to herself as stupid. Her father and I love her very much and we tell her that all the time, but it just doesn't seem to make much difference. Last week she gave away all of her favorite clothing, and now she just mopes around the house in a warm-up suit. What should we do?
The one thing you shouldn't do is assume that she'll grow out of it. Six months is a very long time for a child her age to be down in the dumps. Your daughter is showing some very strong signs of
The Intentional Parent by Peter J. Favaro, Ph.D. 211