How to deal with a 7yr old that acts 16

bush7105

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I was wondering if anyone had a 7 yr old that acted like they were already a teen? How do you deal with the every day drama?
 

persi & alley

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Originally Posted by Bush7105

I was wondering if anyone had a 7 yr old that acted like they were already a teen? How do you deal with the every day drama?
Do you play with him? Does he respond to the old feather on the stick or a laser light? Try to play with him every day, he will probably respond in some fashion and act like a younger cat.
 

gingersmom

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Do you mean he's acting like a SENIOR cat?

I have an 11 month old - HE acts like a "teenager." Won't listen, gets into everything, uses the phone at all hours, invites his friends over - ok, I'm kidding about the last two, but adolescent behavior happens in cats under the age of 2-3.

What are you referring to when you say he's acting like a teen?
 

epona

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Er guys... I think the OP might be talking about a human child rather than a furry one?

Not that I can help with that but it makes the 'play with a feather on a stick' suggestion rather amusing, sorry
 

gingersmom

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Originally Posted by Rosiemac

I'm guessing this is a human she's on about?


A human?
Oh boy did I read that wrong, then!


In that case, I would request a neuropsych eval through the school and get the kid some counseling - he may be acting out because he doesn't have the proper emotional tools to process what he's feeling inside.

I had to do this when my daughter started to act out as a youngster, got her into play therapy which really helped.
 

icklemiss21

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Originally Posted by Epona

Er guys... I think the OP might be talking about a human child rather than a furry one?

Not that I can help with that but it makes the 'play with a feather on a stick' suggestion rather amusing, sorry


I guess we get carried away with kitty thinking, but I assumed a skin-child too

What kind of behaviour? The moodiness? the slamming doors? the answering back? (OMG these are cat behaviour too
)
 

natalie_ca

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Originally Posted by Epona

Er guys... I think the OP might be talking about a human child rather than a furry one?

Not that I can help with that but it makes the 'play with a feather on a stick' suggestion rather amusing, sorry
 
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bush7105

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But I like the feather stick idea maybe I should try it
He is just being a brat
I am not sure if it is because he gets up at 6 am for the bus he goes to bed at eight if I sent him to bed earlier I do not believe it would be fair to him. He is just mouthy and he has a bad temper. He also is still throwing tantrums and it gets hard at times. (only so much one person can take ). I guess i should have let you know I was talking about my son not my cat huh (brain fart) sorry
 

lookingglass

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Originally Posted by Bush7105

But I like the feather stick idea maybe I should try it
He is just being a brat
I am not sure if it is because he gets up at 6 am for the bus he goes to bed at eight if I sent him to bed earlier I do not believe it would be fair to him. He is just mouthy and he has a bad temper. He also is still throwing tantrums and it gets hard at times. (only so much one person can take ). I guess i should have let you know I was talking about my son not my cat huh (brain fart) sorry
Have you had him allergy tested? It could be something in his diet.
 

pee-cleaner

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Drop food colorings, high fructose corn syrup and possibly milk from his diet. All those things set off my child.
 

rubsluts'mommy

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Originally Posted by pee-cleaner

Drop food colorings, high fructose corn syrup and possibly milk from his diet. All those things set off my child.
That's something I've noticed in kids (around them all the time, although I don't have one). The hyper/smart-alecky kids are usually the ones who are drinking sodas and winning over parents and grandparents to get candy. Not saying the OP is doing this... but something i've noticed.

Cut out soda/pop, only allow no/low sugar juices and water. This also means no Koolaid. I grew up on the stuff, but i also played outside constantly and was relatively active. I had an outlet for the hyperactivity. He may not have any outlets for his frustration. if he isn't already, get him involved in activities he wants to do (not that YOU want him to do)... for example: karate, swim classes, etc... if he likes the action of video games, then some form of martial arts may help burn some of that energy, give him some focus.

At this age, he's learning to find his identity, it's that in-between age... he's not a little kid (like pre-K) but he's not a teenager. You are not the only one he listens to anymore, he has school friends. His social circle is much larger now. Help him find some focus in his life, if he doesn't already... But don't over do it, either... Too many activities can make things just as bad... one or two is good... but let him have time to still be a kid.

Of course, maybe he just wants your attention... go to the park and play with him... not just watch him play...

Here i go writing a darn book again... I really should try to stop talking so darn much...

I'm not just pulling things out of thin air... watching SuperNanny gives me some of this... also knowing lots of people with kids of varying ages (best friend has two teenage daughters-watched them grow up)... I'll shut up now... I have no idea what you already do with him, so I'm just throwing things out there...

A.
 

swampwitch

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Oh my, I understand about the drama; I thought girls were worse than boys. You should see some of my daughter's 9 and 10 year-old friends.


Originally Posted by pee-cleaner

Drop food colorings, high fructose corn syrup and possibly milk from his diet. All those things set off my child.
That's always an excellent idea! Definitely get rid of artificial colors, artificial sweeteners, and artificial flavors. It's proven that they contribute to ADHD or ADHD-like behavior. Plus, they are poisons that nobody should be eating.

And high-fructose corn syrup is a fast slide to diabetes, and it's in tons of processed foods, even those that aren't supposed to be sweet. Check the labels.
 

gingersmom

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One other sugestion: Talk to your pediatrician about your son's behavior - keep the doc in the loop - they may be able to assist you as well.
 

okiron

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tie him to a bicycle and make him run a couple times around the block :p

but seriously...tucker him out, he'll be too tired to fight.
 

mbjerkness

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My oldest daughter used to have horrible tantrums, through the process of elimination, and help with a peditrician, we found out it was yellow food dye #5 also called tartrazine. It is very common for it to cause behaviour problems, it is also known to cause cancer, it is in an amazing amount of foods, taking it out of her diet almost eliminated her tantrums. of course now she is 17 and everything is a drama
 
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