ASK AMY: Parents struggle to cope with child’s antics

Dear Amy: My wife and I are parents of four children under the age of 10.

Life during the pandemic has been a challenge for us, to say the least.

We have very close friends, “Roberta and Vincent.” We have spent quite a bit of time with them, and our children have become close.

Here is the rub: One of their children (“Steven,” age 7) is prone to breakdowns and meltdowns. He seems to demand to be the centre of attention.

It seems like a delicate dance.

– Uncertain in Sacramento

Dear Uncertain: You and your wife are seasoned parents, very much in the thick of family life, but surely you know from raising your own children that each child has their own temperament.

If “Steven” is extremely sensitive, the noise and pandemonium of a large gathering of adults and multiple children may be too much for him to handle.

Just as your family has struggled through the pandemic, he has not had access to the familiar routines, services and support he might receive in school. He has missed a year of social growth, during a very important developmental phase of his life. And while your children might roll with the punches, he hasn’t mastered these skills.