ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a case of a 7-year-old boy who is taken to the general practitioner (GP) because he is having regular and severe temper tantrums. His mother explains that this has been going on for 3 months. It has gradually become worse to the point where he can be screaming for an hour every evening. It usually occurs when he has been asked to do something that he does not want to do, such as getting ready for bed. Tantrums are developmentally normal for children ages 2, 3 and 4. They usually occur in the context of the development of the child's empathy skills (known to psychologists as theory of mind), their place in the world and a struggle to understand that their needs cannot be prioritized at all times. Tantrums that persist at older ages or are severe and prolonged in nature often lead to families requiring additional support.
