Yesterday was a very difficult day. My teenage son decided to throw another tantrum. It was his second tantrum in as many days. In yesterday’s tantrum he began throwing things around and knocking things over. Several weeks ago when he was throwing things I dialled 911. The police came and talked to him for a while. For several weeks after that he was very careful about his tantrums and managed to keep things pretty much under control. I mentioned this to his counsellor. The counsellor recommended that every time he throws a tantrum and starts throwing things he should get the same result. The police should be called to intervene.
While the police were here yesterday, one of the officers – a corporal – began to lecture me about what the role of the police should be. I was informed that the police should only be called if my son began to throwing things at someone or began to assault us. The lecture went on and on. Eventually I interjected with, “I’m sorry but you are wrong.” For the next few minutes there was silence. Then I began to tell the office that his role was not just to arrest people who committed a crime but to prevent crime as well. I told him, and his partner, that in the twenty years I have lived here I have called them only twice. I told them that it is absolutely ridiculous that I should have to wait until things escalate to that level of violence before they get involved. Before we were done both officers apologized, and the corporal volunteered to come by on Saturday – on his own time I suspect – and talk to my son.
What I am trying to do here is let my son know that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated. I want him to know that each time his temper takes him to that extreme I will be calling the police. It is one thing to deal with a tantrum of a fifteen/sixteen year old but if it continues it is something quite different once he is eighteen/nineteen. He needs to learn that behaviour of that nature will always bring the same result – the police will be called to intervene.