I did ask ds6 why he thinks he is able to control his frustration at school or when he's with friends, and after thinking about it for a few minutes, he said he had two reasons:
1. When he's at school ("a non-boring school" that is) he is busy and working with others, and he doesn't have so much time where he has nothing to do. If he has down-time, he's bored and then gets upset.
2. If he acts like that in front of his friends, they might not like him anymore.
Well, thank goodness he can understand that it's not socially appropriate to act that way! And, good grief, how much more can I do to keep the little prince entertained? We are working on his independence, and he's getting better at entertaining/occupying himself. We have plenty of academic and non-academic activities, toys, and games around here, but he still wants someone with him at all times if possible. It does reinforce the fact that a consistent schedule is important for him. I need to get better about making sure we are following it closely. I'm a go-with-the-flow kind of person, so it's hard for me to keep to a schedule. I think it's more necessary for him than I realized.
BTW, great afternoon after a terrible 3 days. Go figure.
I'm considering the counseling, but I'll definitely take to heart the advice of finding a counselor with gifted experience. Thanks!
