Hysteria

Peter has a strong sense of justice. This has the potential to be a great quality. Right now, however, it shows up when he doesn't want a consequence, so he uses his skills to attempt to lawyer us out of it. Tonight he tried to do this and I wouldn't play along. I stayed calm and every time he delved into his reasons that he was right and I was wrong I simply interrupted and reminded him he'd already told me these things.

After repeating this cycle several times he was sent to his room to calm down. A few minutes later I went in to give him a hug, thinking it would help with the calming process. As soon as I walked in, he launched into his familiar rhetoric. I stopped him and said, "No, I'm just here for a hug. I'm not going to talk to you until you've stopped being hysterical."

"Well!" he said as he angrily threw his hands into the air, "that means you won't talk to me for thirty years!"

If that number is true for everyone: good news! I only have four more years until I'm done with my own hysteria!

On a happier note, he did finally calm down and very rationally explained why he'd gotten the consequence and agreed that it was deserved.