- Jun 11, 2014
- 21,150
- 33,993
Founding Member
This is a critical age when the communication between a son and a father can either stay somewhat open or go off the rails.
You really need to stay engaged and keep him talking about why he acted out like that.
Punishment - like several have said is still needed (something that he values - iPad, game console, etc.) but I would think getting him and keeping him talking is the best way to figure out what's going on in his head.
It could be something unrelated - and he's just acting out.
But the key thing is to let him know you're willing to listen to him and that he can come to you if there are issues.
This is key if you want to keep the lines open when he gets to be a teenager.
You can better gauge the punishment if you know what the situation is/was.
I raised four kids and it was tough trying to figure all this stuff out.
I always liked this quote (even if it's slightly slanted towards military leadership) - I think it still applies to fatherhood:
That's a great quote.