Angry son and dad get into it…. what can we do?

by Rod Smith

My son (13) gets so angry when he is confronted about anything (school results, when he cannot go out, when he cannot be on the Internet) I know he scares himself. Last weekend my husband and son had a confrontation and he hit my husband in the face. I am glad my husband was patient with him and did not lose his temper. What should I do?

First: Decide that the parents will never resort to fighting violence with violence.

Second: Discuss that loving your son and supporting him through this troubled time is something to which you are both enduringly committed.

Third: Talk with your husband a lot about many and various topics – discussions about your son must not be permitted to dominate your every interaction – in order to establish unity that is comforting to you and obvious to your son. This expression of unity – not necessarily agreement – will become a natural protection when your family faces challenges.

Finally: During a “down time” and when things are peaceful, let your son know the despite whatever occurs among you, he is to learn to hold his temper, and to learn not to strike others. Let him know failure at self-restraint will result in the immediate need for professional intervention.

3 Comments to “Angry son and dad get into it…. what can we do?”

  1. tobeme's avatar

    I know of a family in a similar situation. One thing that I noticed in this family is that the teenage child’s behavior is reflective of the parents behavior, i.e. the child gets angry and acts out because that is the behavior that they have witnessed as they grew up, that is the parents act out, yell, throw things, make threats when they are stressed or angry.
    One of the ways this family has changed is that the parents have changed the way they react, they have learned to communicate better and the teenager has reacted by beginning to learn how to communicate to better with the parents.

  2. bhattathiri's avatar

    Love is the only answer.The trick is to ride out this storm without letting the damage get great. To do this, get yourself and dad to a good adolescent shrink who can walk you through this phase with some good strategies and helpful support.
    A couple of things seen work well are as follows:
    -Try negotiating a reward system where Junior earns things he wants (money?) for getting through a day with respect for family (i.e. not cursing folks off).
    -Do not engage him when he’s in a mood. Back off, quietly framing his behaviors ONE TIME, saying things like, “It hurts me to see you hurt your brother like that.” When he curses in response, just walk away.
    -Reinforce the heck out of him when he’s nice. Let him know how proud you are of him whenever you see him being respectful and helpful, particularly at home.
    Try and not take his behaviors personally. A lot of what you are seeing is just the fallout from his difficult life, and he will come out of this as he matures further. He’ll just be a little behind the curve due to the Asperger’s.
    Beyond all else, keep your connection with him. That bond is even more vital to your son than it is to other kids.

  3. melinda's avatar

    me and my dad are fieting he doesv noit spend time to play with me his son

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