Call to arms - how do you deal with an angry child?

I don't just mean one who has a strop because he didn't get his own way. I mean one who gets sooo angry when falsely accused of something. Elf was involved in a fight at after-school club yesterday; we were assured he didn't start it. Oh well that's ok then!

He'd been playing outside with another Year 1 and a Year R, with whom he collided and the little boy cried when he fell. The other Year 1 accused Elf of doing it on purpose. Elf got so mad that they ended up in fisticuffs. I have seen this anger when Elf is falsey accused, or when he is laughed at by adults, or indeed when interrupted.

I myself get extremely angry when interrupted or am falsely accused, so can empathise. But I can temper my ... temper. He can't. The anger doesn't last long, a minute or two. (Unless he's been asked to sit out of playtime for refusing to apologise - when it turned out he was right not to!.)

I believe that this may have resulted from years of accusing Elf of doing things, when he was younger, because he usually was involved. But as he's grown up, he isn't like that so much anymore. He is now quite indignant when I think he might be at fault. Does anyone know how to deal with this? Elf is 6 in a few weeks. Do they learn to cope with the anger as they mature? Advise or experiences appreciated!

Would I Lie To You board family game review

Would I Lie To You? "The game of believable lies and unbelievable lies ", linked into the TV show of the same name. Purchased: December 2017 in Waterstones, for around £20 In a nutshell: These TV show-affiliated games usually show themselves up (Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Top Gear) but this game is fun and easy to play (if a little modified) as a family. You don't really need specialist knowledge to play, just the ability to lie! Every year for Christmas, I like to buy a board game to play, even though no games better either Ludo (in which my dad is the reigning cheater-champion, and argues to high heaven over the rules about doubling up or how to place your counters in "Home") or Rummikub (which we can now play with two packs of cards lest we forget the game). This year, Would I Lie To You caught my eye in Waterstones (other emporiums - emporia? - for book lovers are [locally] unavailable). It's a game, it says, for 2-8 players; however we dec...

A walk from Portchester Castle to Salt Cafe

Well we just had to choose the worst day of the year to walk. The date had been set weeks before - who knew there would be the worst winds of the decade almost on this very day? But we didn't want to be beaten. We will walk to the cafe. At least it wasn't raining! Parking is free next the castle and obviously, it wasn't busy this day! We set off around the outside of this medieval monument. The sea wall affords views across to Portsmouth and Gosport, and Portsdown Hill if you look behind. You can see the Spinnaker Tower in my photos, but you'd have to zoom in. The sea wall leads to a walk along a path, switching between grass (a much more sheltered area) beside a playpark, and the beach. It is an easy, flat walk, made slightly harder in the wind. After 1.75 miles, you reach the Salt Cafe (@saltcafe66). This took us one hour - that wind did slow us down! I've had a breakfast bap there before and remember it being delicious, but slightly expensive. But today, we...

Ms Humdrum reviews: B Afternoon Tea Bus Tour around London

Family and friends, tasty tea, cute cakes, succulent sarnies, scrumptious scones… what more could you ask for? Some sightseeing around Central London please. Oh, and on a vintage red double decker bus, if you don’t mind. What I’ve described is exactly what you get from the B Afternoon Tea Bus Tour. Priced at around what I paid for the Ritz afternoon tea some five years ago, you rock up at Victoria bus station and check-in to board the bus. The waiting staff guide you on and you find your booth. I manged to get a photo before anyone arrived. The tea is set up for you and is sort of stuck down on the table with a little bit of material! Note the nice touches of the flowers adorning the sides of the bus and the tables with natty bus and shopper images. You settle in and order your first (of many) drinks. I had in my head that I’d be supping loose tea using a strainer out of a bone china cup and saucer. However that just isn’t going to work on a bus, I realise. So you are gi...

A Humdrum Mum

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