My 6 year old son hit his mum for not giving him a snack right away – I’m embarrassed
Geoff* has struggled with his son’s behavior for years. At the age of six, Alexander* caused stress throughout the house.
With “little to no impulse control,” he easily gives in to his intrusive thoughts, wreaking havoc around the house and everywhere he goes.
Geoff and his wife Hannah* have tried everything to keep their child under control, but to no avail.
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6-year-old hit his mother after not being given a snack right away
“We used positive/negative reinforcement, reward tables, etc.,” Geoff shared Reddit. “Nothing works.”
Over time, they noticed that Alexander “seems to react angrily to kindness” and is “quite angry all the time.”
One morning the family decided to visit the local swimming pool to enjoy the summer sun.
American father woke up with a headache and couldn’t stand breakfast because of nausea. But he pushed the feeling aside and continued having fun with his child and wife at the pool.
“We had a wonderful time and a lot of fun,” explained Geoff.
But as they left the pool, he felt a growl in her stomach. “I was very hungry,” he said.
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Geoff went to the vending machine and chose something to enjoy with Alexander.
But it wasn’t good enough for him, he admitted. “He wanted his own,” Goeff explained.
Hannah said that made perfect sense; She understood why her son wanted his own snack.
Unfortunately, Geoff was out of spare change and couldn’t get anything else. Luckily, Hannah had a solution. “She said he could pick something at the grocery store down the road,” he wrote.
But before they could continue their day, Alexander shouted, “No, now!” and slapped Hannah on the leg.
“My wife was embarrassed,” Geoff said. “He kept ranting about how much he hated us.”
He clarified that parents “don’t hit our kids” and “try to teach them it’s wrong.”
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“This behavior is not normal and could represent a bigger problem”
Parents stated online that Alexander’s behavior should not be accepted and that steps should be taken to disqualify his actions.
“If a kid is doing this in public, you stop what you’re doing and take the kid to the car and go home,” one recommended.
“I don’t think the behavior is particularly unusual under the circumstances (tired, hungry) but it’s never excusable,” agreed another.
Some argued that the behavior was not normal at all.
“The fact that ‘he’s pretty angry all the time’ strikes me as the bigger issue that needs addressing and is probably closer to the root of your problem,” added another.
“This is anything but normal, and no amount of discipline or ‘walk away right now’ will solve the problem if he’s just constantly angry.”
Others recommended seeking professional help. “Try behavioral therapy, not just for the child, but in a parent-child setting,” one person wrote.
“You may want to look into therapy, this is not normal and could be a bigger problem, but hopefully not,” one comment said. “I think the most important thing for kids who do this is to set expectations, understand the consequences, and act on them every Time.”
*Names have been changed
