How do you handle an overly dramatic child?

My oldest son, who will be 5 this week, is so unbelievably dramatic. He got a teeny splinter in his hand last week, just the point was stuck, the rest was sticking out. You woukd think this would have been an easy fix- tweezers, yank it out, over with in 5 seconds. Well, in reality, it was an hour+ ordeal, tears, shaking, yelling, the whole 9 yards. This morning, I made him an egg sandwich for breakfast. He picked it up to take a bite and some of the egg slipped out and landed on his plate. You would have thought someone killed his puppy. He got a small scrape on the back of his ankle the other day and needed bacitracin, a bandaid, a booboo buddy, and proceeded to limp for the next 3 hours. These are just a few examples to paint the picture. Obviously, I'd love for him to tone it down and be a bit more reality based in times of crisis . But I also don't want to invalidate his feelings and make him feel like I don't support him. Anyone else have a child like this? How do you handle them?

Re: How do you handle an overly dramatic child?

Sorry but I totAlly lol'ed at the limping. That is my oldest. She has no less then 3 band aids on her at all times. Maybe one she actually needs. She's so sensitive.

She's 7 and has calmed down some, but tends to overreact. I try to ignore it because otherwise I'd be in the crazy house

Just pray its a phase that passes soon

How do you handle an overly dramatic child?

Hope it's a phase too. DD who is almost 4 over-dramatizes everything, esp with minor little scrapes or injuries. She will get the ice, gauze, band aids, peroxide etc, for a barely visible mark. It's a whole production. Then she always needs "medicine". So I put some lotion or Vaseline in a little container, get that out, put "medicine" on it. It's nuts.

Re: How do you handle an overly dramatic child?

My son can be similar.
The more you feed into it the worse it gets.

After 3999 bandaides now there has to be blood to get a band aide
If he's hysterical I tell him I can help him until he's calm and ignore him until he gets himself together.

My SIl fed into it a lot with my nephew and I feel like at 9 now he's got some much anxiety over things because she almost validated his irrational fears and hysterics when he was younger

But like everything I'm sure it's just a phase!
Does he do these things at school (if he goes) or is it just with you?

Re: How do you handle an overly dramatic child?

I cant relate just yet, but I know someone with a son that was like this at that age and I really do think it's just a phase. The kid I know is now 10 and is not as dramatic as he used to be.

Re: How do you handle an overly dramatic child?

Re: How do you handle an overly dramatic child?

That is my son to a T! So far he's gotten better but he hasn't full grown out of it. it was worst from age 4-5, now that he's 6 I see some improvement. Not coddling him, ignoring the behavior, and the occasional eye roll has helped.

Re: How do you handle an overly dramatic child?