I've discovered that traditional discipline methods don't work on my son. Time out, for example, has become a time for him to sit in a chair and make up a story, which he enthusiastically tells me after I let him out. I'm glad he's using his imagination, but it's not a negative thing for him and therefore does not deter the bad behavior. He finds loopholes in every single rule I make. Last night I tucked him in and told him to stay in bed (he has a habit of finding any excuse to get up). Fifteen minutes later I found him playing with his star wars figures....still in bed. When I confronted him about it, he said, "I am in bed, like you told me!" I told him before he went to school yesterday to tell his teacher he was ready for his AR test. He didn't take the test. When I asked him why, he said, "You didn't tell me to take it TODAY!" He sneaks up on me. He has this ability to start with a minor violation that I either barely notice, or I don't think is significant enough to do anything about. Then over days or weeks, it slowly gets worse and worse until I suddenly realize that he's acting like a brat and I have allowed it!
He also tends to be overemotional, which I have heard is very common among gifted children. I mentioned the other day that our cat was getting old and he fretted all evening about how she might die soon - despite my reassuring him that she wasn't quite THAT old. If he misses one question on a test, he comes home near tears, even though I try not to stress him out about his grades.
Anyway, my point is, he's not a bad kid. But he has some discipline issues that do need to be addressed and so far I have been totally unsuccessful in trying to discipline him. Any tips on how to do this? Preferably without making him so emotional?
