What set him off was not earning free time on the computer today. He lost the chance by hitting other kids twice. He's always been very emotional, but there have been a few times lately that he just seems to lose control.
This whole thing with hitting and not respecting other people's personal space is fairly new.
I recently finished the book
"Respectful Kids: The Complete Guide to Bringing Out the Best in Your Child" by Dr. Todd Cartmell. Even though the book is not written for gifted kids, I really liked it. It prioritized the fundamental behavior expectations that we try to achieve in our household. (FYI: Dr. Todd Cartmell's
biblically based techniques equip parents to help children break disrespectful habits and instead nurture respectful behaviors.)
Dr. Cartmell is a child psychologist and the book talks a lot about the respect-privilege connection. "Why is it so critical to help our children see this distinction between rights and privileges? . . . We want our children to learn that treating people respectfully will always work out better than treating them disrespectfully. To put it in language that kids will clearly understand, the child who treats others respectfully will experience the benefits that only respectful behavior can bring." He actually addresses computer time and video games a lot in the book- including how to get kids to stop when you determine it is time for them to stop playing and how to link computer time (or any other "privilege") with respectful behavior. He uses a lot of dialog examples with his patients that I liked because it presents you with a model script for introducing the concepts to your kids.
Because it is a Christian-based book, I understand it may not be appropriate for your family beliefs but I do think the overall concepts could work well in any household regardless of religious beliefs (you do have to wade through some Bible verses though). It is a quick read with lots of applicable nuggets of information. I think it is worth a read!
