Need Advice for Aggressive Behavior in Kindergartener

Sounds like an overgrowth of yeast. Is he on probiotics? If not find some that are wheat and milk free.

When you put him down tonight crawl in with him and just talk about his day or anything else that is on his mind. Eventually sterr the conversation towards this subject. Ask him why he does this and what makes him feel this way. The important thing is to keep your tone very calm and conversational. It may take a couple trys to get out the real reason. This has always worked for me....something about the darkness and both of lying there with our heads on the pillow make if very non threatening.

I love what Mallory said - it actually gave me goosebumps. It's what I do with my kids - especially my son who is also in kindergarten, when I want them to talk. I'll just lay there and ask him, "what was the best thing you did today?" "What did you eat for lunch" and the next thing you know he is giving me a play by play of the whole day. Not always but I think when they are down for the count, relaxed and have their Mommy or Daddy paying such great attention to them, they are more likely to open up. Like Mallory said, it may take a couple of tries but gently keep asking him about his day. You could change up your question - in a fun voice, "Did anything Crazy happen today?"

Try talking to your son and reminding him how to act at school. Keep reminding him.

really I dont think there is anything your pediatrician can do? Sit down with your son and ask him if he can explain why he is acting this way.. sad, upset scared. Then ask him how he would feel if someone acted like that to him. remind him every day before school that he needs to be nice. I hope it gets better.

Don't stress - sounds very "normal". He saw it somewhere - school or tv etc and is just likely repeating it. I'd talk w/ his teacher and come up w/ a consistent approach for addressing it. Talk w/ him about what is acceptable show him a yelling voice, and quiet voice. Show him why we don't yell - it hurts ears and feelings. Finally make consequences for those behaviors - time out, no desert etc. Also, are there any "new" things or big changes in his life causing him to act out a bit just to get attention? Enjoy the holiday!

Dr. Sears is a child expert and has some good advice on this, as well as discipline techniques that can work when done consistently

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/6/T060100.asp

scroll down to bothersome behavior for techniques for particular problems, aggression would most likely be under biting/hitting/name calling/temper tantrums

Why are you wanting to talk to the pediatrician? Unless you are seeing a global issue with his processing skills that effect his behavior, then this is probably not a medical issue. If there is a whole lot more, then by all means, call your pediatrician for a referal.

Since you are not seeing this tendancy at home, you need to go to the source, which is school, and find out what the antecedent to the behavior is. This is not the reason he did something, He clearly is frustrated or angry and you should be clear with him that why he did something is not important, some behaviors are not allowed, even when he feels mad. You do need to know what is triggering an unacceptable behavior, so that you can give him the tools to do something differently at that point in time.

If he is having trouble with freinds, then start with the teacher and the school counselor, and see what you can work out with them to help him. It is a school issue right now, so stay there. Kids who are having good behavior at home, should be praised for that.

If the school cannot help him, or the behavior escalates or becomes more global, then you might consider consulting a play therapist. Simple issues like frustration can be addressed this way. If it is more complicated or neurological in nature, follow your medical doctors advice and seek out a more indepth evaluation, but just from what you have written, it does not seem like you need that now.

Enjoy the holiday! Speak to him about how we treat freinds, look for ways to work it into play, or if you can invite a friend over for a play date and observe, then help him understand how others feel if you see this behavior, you may get some insight.

M.

1st - is he getting at least 12 hours of sleep every night? I have found that behavior is directly correlated to this type of thing.

So, if he isn't getting that much I would tell him that until he has a month of good behavior at school his bedtime EVERY night (not just school nights, he has a sleep debt that has to make up and routine is essential in this matter) will be 6:45.

I was having issues with my own 8 yr old at home recently and even though I KNOW the above I missed it cause it was my own kid. Then it clicked for me, I moved her bedtime to that time (she wakes around 6:30) and not only did her behavior improve completely but she also slept an hour later. She totally had sleep debt and I was missing it despite my education in that matter!

#2 - media watch - I would be on top of his tv, video games and computer games so there is ZERO things that involve any type of physical activity. A kid under about 8 really can't tell the difference between play and not allowed physical touching. Also under that age they don't understand when to stop the play before it turns to the not allowed type. I have had to do this many times with my 4 and 5 yr old daycare boys. Unfortunately *I* can only control what is seen in MY house, so if they watch wrestling at home they want to come here and play it. Or Kung Fu Panda, or ...

I would check out if someone is bullying him in some way. Oftentimes the victim is responding to something that surrounds him with fear and doesn't know how react.