School's been out for just over a week and I'm ready to strangle my 8 year old. He's gotten really mouthy the last few months.
He's also been pulling stuff with his little brother (he's 4), he's either sarcastic or using some figure of speech. When the younger one gets upset he'll say something like: "it's figurative language, learn it" and I've tried to explain to him that a kid that age isn't going to get it.
He also tries to boss his brother around or has to stick his nose into what I'm telling the youngest.
I feel bad for wishing he was still in school, normally I look forward to him being home for summer and dread the start of school.
I just want someone to tell me this is his age and he'll outgrow it. 
sounds just like my 8 year old he turned 8 and the next day it was like that. sadly it hasnt stopped and he will be 9 in a few weeks. i am constantly on him about his attitude and he will get good then go to his birth moms for 2 days and come back just as bad as ever. wish i could blame it all on her but this "phase" started long before she came back into the picture. my 10 year old never went through tis phase but he has his own attitude issues. all i can say is pray.
Mine are 6, 8, and 12, and they've been out of school for about a month. The second they get bored they start in on one another. Start a schedule and stick to it. My kitchen is only open for business for x amount of time every day. From 10 until 11 they have to have all chores completed (not a lot, but any help helps - make bed, clean rooms, sanitize bathrooms, put up dishes, etc). From 11 to 12 it's OUTSIDE PLAY. Noon is lunch. 1 - 2 learning of some sort (one day is math, one day reading, etc). 2-3 OUTSIDE PLAY. 3 until evening obligation, whatever they want. I work at home and the little boogers have to get fresh air to keep their blood circulating and to keep from being locked in a closet
That said, summer camps also began today WHOO HOOO! One's away for the week, one's at baseball all morning and the other is at cheerleading. It's only for the week, but I'll take what I can get.
You need to be calm and set reasonable but firm boundaries and every time he crosses them there has to be a reasonable sanction. For example if the rule is no name calling then both boys have the same rule and the sanction for name calling may be sitting on their own on the stairs for five minutes. Shouting doesn't usually work with kids, they actually enjoy the reaction they're provoking.
It IS a phase, but if it continues unchecked it will become habit. Good luck, bringing up children is the hardest job in the world. I hope I'm lucky enough to get to do it one day. I'm only a teacher at the moment, not a mum.
Mine are 6, 8, and 12, and they've been out of school for about a month. The second they get bored they start in on one another.
That said, summer camps also began today WHOO HOOO! One's away for the week, one's at baseball all morning and the other is at cheerleading. It's only for the week, but I'll take what I can get.
Boredom isn't his problem with picking on his little brother, he'll do this in the middle of us doing something.
They spend alot of time outside, we live in North Dakota so there are months when they can't go outside and we make them take advantage of the nice months. We have a huge yard (it takes me at least 2 hours to mow on a riding mower) so they have lots to do.
I'm jealous of the camp thing, there isn't anything near us that isn't religious for his age group and the child would kill me if I sent him to something like that.
Well, my favorite punishment for my kids is to make them wash baseboards. I hate seeing dust or grime on a baseboard and standing on a wall does ME no good. So, set him up with a bucket, sponge and an old toothbrush and put him to work the first time he messes with his brother. I'm all about beneficial punishment lol.
Is there any type of organized sport nearby that he can do for the summer? Can you pawn the oldest off for "Camp Grandma"? Each of my kids spend a week with their grandparents every summer for some one-on-one time.
Yep it's just the age. My DD is almost 8 and I have had to put her attitude in check a lot this year. Not just since school let out. Not to mention she also bosses my 3 yr old around and I have to remind her that I'm the mom not her and not to speak to her that way. She stops for a while, then it starts up again so then I have to threaten to take the computer away. It better get better or else she's not making it till 8!! 
I hate to burst any bubbles here, but wait till they turn 15! You think 8 is bad? At 15 I think they should be put into the deep freeze until they turn 25.
And Emma, as sage as your advise is, and I agree with a lot of it. Think about this, you only have those kids for a few hours each day. Having them at home together for the remainder or when they are out of school all day is another thing. On the other hand, you have probably 20-30 all the same age in one classroom. I would be found curled in a ball, weeping in a corner.
And Emma, as sage as your advise is, and I agree with a lot of it. Think about this, you only have those kids for a few hours each day. Having them at home together for the remainder or when they are out of school all day is another thing.
But, what we have to deal with is the result of our own parenting. Teachers have to deal with the nightmare of everyone else's parenting skills lol.
My DS turned 7 in March and he's gotten really mouthy. I think part is the influence of the 10 year old I watch after school. That ends after this year, thank goodness!
I think with him, it's first child syndrome. He thinks he's the boss of his younger brother and sister.
I like :ana C's schedule idea. I know mine get bored and I"m dreading the summer because of it. I need to implement a schedule.
LOL... I am kind of the same problem, only my almost (next month) 8 is super super smart, so he will talk over his brother's head. He even can torture his OLDER brother who is 12.
We just try to stay consistent with discipline. He has to apologize, loses priveledges, etc. Sometimes we make him write stories about kids who have a smart mouth, and what happens to them. My fav was when I was cast as the evil queen who locked him in the dugeon and would not allow him to play.
He is getting better... my husband does the same thing right back at him, and that makes him stop because he doesn't like it.
If you can figure out the 12yr eye rolling and hair toss thing... let me know. 
So glad I am not alone!!
Did I mention that he says he has to do EVERYTHING... ALL THE TIME, and NO ONE has a mother who is as MEAN as his mom. NO ONE has to read in the summer... or... GASP .... DO CHORES!!!! Someone call health and welfare.... the kid is being TORTURED with having to FEED THE DOG and Pick up after himself!! SSHHHEEEESSH!!
Did I mention that he says he has to do EVERYTHING... ALL THE TIME, and NO ONE has a mother who is as MEAN as his mom. NO ONE has to read in the summer... or... GASP .... DO CHORES!!!! Someone call health and welfare.... the kid is being TORTURED with having to FEED THE DOG and Pick up after himself!! SSHHHEEEESSH!!
That is so funny my DS will be 8 in november but he has definitly picked up the sarcastic bug from friends at school. at first I wouldnt really get upset because I didnt think he realized he was being a smart mouth but after he had enough warnings. we nipped it in the bud real quick. he has become quite bossy over his 3 year old sister though and hes such a know it all. he cant be wrong theres no way. But im really harsh I guess because I just dont stand for it and Ive got him to a point now where all I have to do is give him the look and most times he will back down. (god forid he loose his privlages)l I think its so important they dont get bored during the summer so we plan weekly trips to fun and educational places for there good behavior during the week. of course there are week long sport camps and football starts in july so that will be all consuming. With my son he does at least one hour of reading a day and one hour of work sheets we play bored games and he has his chores. he has to be outside a good portion of the day (we have a pool a trampoline and huge swing set a basketball and tetherball court.) so theres no excuse to be indoors. and I limit video games and tv to 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the eveing except on saturday mornings. wow im rambling sorry late im going sleepy now.
I hate to burst any bubbles here, but wait till they turn 15! You think 8 is bad? At 15 I think they should be put into the deep freeze until they turn 25.
I have one 14, do you meand he can get worst at 15? 
Did I mention that he says he has to do EVERYTHING... ALL THE TIME, and NO ONE has a mother who is as MEAN as his mom. NO ONE has to read in the summer... or... GASP .... DO CHORES!!!! Someone call health and welfare.... the kid is being TORTURED with having to FEED THE DOG and Pick up after himself!! SSHHHEEEESSH!!
My 8yr old was starting to wage a protest with the whole "It's summer, I shoudn't have to do school work, I shouldn't have to .......". The 12yr old looked at him and told him to give it up and get it done because I controlled the popcicles.
Did I mention that he says he has to do EVERYTHING... ALL THE TIME, and NO ONE has a mother who is as MEAN as his mom. NO ONE has to read in the summer... or... GASP .... DO CHORES!!!! Someone call health and welfare.... the kid is being TORTURED with having to FEED THE DOG and Pick up after himself!! SSHHHEEEESSH!!
I'm the meanest mother in the world and I make him work way to hard. We have told him that this year he has to keep the yard picked up, stray trash that blows in and stuff if he wants gas for his dirt bike and I've been told how unfair that is.
As for reading we would be considered HORRIBLE if we took the books away, he can't wait until July when Harry Potter comes out but I get it first.
Do I get a medal cause I've gotten my kids to almost 24, 19 and 16 and I actually LIKE them?? *lol* Now, that's not to say I haven't wanted to send them back many, many times!
I always told them that you can THINK whatever you want but you can't ACT however you want (that goes the same with my students). I mean, those are the rules I have to live by as an adult! There had to be respect if you wanted to be respected yourself. I had firm consequences to cruelty to younger siblings (I got to define what was cruel) and I stuck with them. You can't say you're going to do something and then back down, unless you want them to totally stop listening. If they couldn't be around each other, I seperated them. If they made faces, rolled their eyes or backtalked, I calmly upped the time of the punishment. They learned it didn't play with me.......
But, what we have to deal with is the result of our own parenting. Teachers have to deal with the nightmare of everyone else's parenting skills lol.
OMG that is SO true! So many parents get angry at the TEACHER when their child misbehaves because they choose to believe their child is a perfect angel. Yeah, right, most of those "perfect angels" are really "perfect monsters". There are a lot of parents out there right now who let the kids run the house and think that being a good parent is making the kid happy all the time and letting the kid have whatever s/he wants. When those kids are confronted with having to behave correctly in school and not be selfish little brats they can't handle it.
/sorry, stepping off of soapbox now.
ooohhhhh baby....could I tell you some parent horror stories.....it's sickening. We've had teachers threatened with beatings by parents...parents who tell their kids they don't have to listen....it's truly crazy!
I couldn't teach, the parents would drive me nuts the first week. I know way too many teachers with these kinds of stories. A friend's dad is going to be a gym teacher at least a couple months before he can retire because the kids are driving him nuts, he's had several threaten to have their dad's come in and beat him up.
my 10 yr old dd has a very smart mouth at times. she gets angry at me when i ask her to help out around the house. its scary i thought she wasnt supposed to hate me for a few more years yet lol. she atleast does act good at school. i went to a class party this year and her teacher came up to me and told me shes one of the sweetest girls shes ever taught. i think she just likes to see how far she can push me.
Sounds like my 8 year old I am actually calling some of my friends to take her to play with their kids, well the have older kids I have two babies so it is very hard
I do think that JodieF should get a medal. I also think that we all should. I think maybe that is why they have Mother's day?
I have to sound off on the school behaivor thing.
Don't hate me...
My son is a total pre-teen at home (12), eye rolling and uh sounds, mean to his brothers... but at school he is well behaived. I know this because we are told a lot from the teachers. Not that I don't think that he is capable of being a trouble maker... every first snow fall he gets in trouble at school for throwing a snowball. They write him up and give him a week lunch detention. He gets in trouble at school for failing to turn in assignments, or reading the required work, etc. When he gets in trouble at school, he gets in trouble at home as well. Last year he was benched from two baseball games (our choice) because he didn't turn n his assignments, and that was how long it took him to get them turned in...
My point is this... There are kids at his school, and I am sure everywhere, that are teacher charmers. This kids are popular with students and teachers and I have seen that they are good athletes and charm the coaches too. Not all of them, but a lot of them are bullies. When the coaches and teachers are not looking, they are picking on the others kids... sometimes physically.
Earlier this year, ds (12yrs) was drawing pics of his own death. He never wanted to go to school, and when I finally found the pics and we were able to talk about it.. a whole group of these charmining kids were bullying him. He thought he was so worthless that he shouldn't even be alive. One of the kids told him over and over that he was a loser and why couldn't he kill himself so they wouldn't have to bother with it anymore. !!!!!!!!
I asked DS why he didn't tell the teacher, and he told me that the popular kids don't get in trouble. I was thinking...yeah right...
Guess what? He was right. I reported it to the teacher/principal/and school counselor. The only thing they did was to tell the other boys that some kids can't handle teasing because they are weak. UUUMMM... do you think that helped or hurt? My son had to have counseling to get over it. (not from the school, but privately) The school counselor told me that we need to understand that kids are just trying to find their own way, and we should give the bullies tolerance and understanding. WHAT???? I told all the school officials that if those kids kept it up, they could all plan on charges being filed against them, and I would go to the school board. I don't know what they did to the bullies because apparently it is not my right to know... but my son told me that they were bragging that the teachers liked them so much they only got a lunch detention, instead of the suspension required by the district. Whey is it that MY son got a week detention for a snow ball and they got one lunch detention for bullying a kid so much that he wants to DIE??? They also won't let us have the parent info for the bullies so that we can talk to them.
They think that the cure for the problem is for my son to have a "play date" with the bullies. WHAT?
They told me to remember the victims of columbine and to practice tolerance. It is my understanding that the boys who did the shooting were victims of bullying. Then they turned into the ultimate bully. I just think teachers and school officials should really be tougher on all forms of rule breaking, and not just give the cool kids a slap on the wrist. THAT is what makes school shooters. Maybe not ONLY that, but I think it contributes to it.
Sorry for ranting, and I know that there are a lot of good teachers out there. But this just made me so angry and I was SHOCKED at the teachers response. Understand that I DO NOT think my kids are perfect, and they are disciplined ... but I was really appalled to find out the a 12 could call it. A popular kid doesnt get in trouble.
Oh... and at the graduation for 6 grade... the teacher raved and raved about the bully, and about the other kids... she said something like, "she has a nice smile" and for my son it was, "he is always nice to everyone and has a smile."
And Emma, as sage as your advise is, and I agree with a lot of it. Think about this, you only have those kids for a few hours each day. Having them at home together for the remainder or when they are out of school all day is another thing.
But, what we have to deal with is the result of our own parenting. Teachers have to deal with the nightmare of everyone else's parenting skills lol.
Yes, Yes, Yes you could have not said it better in such few words,
my daughter drives me crazy but she is just being a normal filled with energy child, I am just not used to having her all day in the house 
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