Question
Our 9-year-old is perfectly functional in a school setting (no issues with socializing, is meeting most benchmarks, is polite and caring). At home and when we are in public as a family, it is another story: He is obnoxious, rude, disrespectful a lot of the time, and when we attempt to correct his behavior he has a tantrum (screaming, crying, throwing toys, saying “no one likes me at all!”). This has been his pattern since he was a toddler. We do not want his little brother to develop these habits as well and are looking to break the cycle. But how? What are appropriate responses “in that moment”? I feel like we need to reclaim our authority but just feel overwhelmed with where to start.
