My 6 year old step son has recently started crying over everything

[cocogirl8907]

My step son is 6 years old and just started 1st grade.  I am his only mother figure and he has been with his dad for the last 3 years.  He first started staying with his dad when he returened from afghanastan and his mother hasnt tried to see him since.  His dad was staying home with him up until february when he started working again.  Just within the last few months he has started to cry about the smallest of things.  If he looses at a game he cries, if he is last in line he cries, if he doesn't get to play with someone he will cry and even the littlest of scratches that didnt used to bother him now make him ball.  And now he is starting to be mean at school but is normally very well behaved.  Yesterday he told a kid school that he could knock him out in one punch if he wanted, I have never heard him talk this way and dont know what is wrong.  When I asked him about it he just started crying and saying I don't know to every question I asked.  Which anytime he knows he did something wrong the only answer he says is I don't know and cries.  I dont know what to do or how to respond to this behavior, I have never expierenced a child that was this sensitive or unresponsive to questions.  I ask him in a normal voice and kneal down to his level and ask how he would feel if things like this happened to him but get no where.

[allmymarbles]

As for his not answering your questions, this is not peculiar to him. I have heard the "I don't know" from all of mine. Sometimes they don't know, and sometimes they are being evasive. Part of it, I think, has to do with privacy.

The sadness and crying is something else. His father has gone off to work. Is that the answer? Is his father working abroad?

[Muguette]

He might developed a depression. İ would got to a therapist beside supporting and loving him. İm sorry for him. İt should be so hard...

[aheart]

  This little guy has been through some pretty emotionally hurtful things in his life. First when his mommy left and never came back. That is devastating to a child, even if they are not old enough to fully understand it. Then his daddy having to return to service (thank him by the way) Losing first one parent and then the other is alot for six year old to handle. Do you make it a fact to him that Daddy is going to come back? He needs constant reassurance of this so he doesn't feel abandoned again. I'm sure his acting out is emotional. Maybe by putting the focus on something else it could help him out of his cycle. Instead of telling him what he does wrong, only tell him the things he is doing right. There is alot riding on you as a parental role for him right now. Maybe this could turn things around some for you. The crying over everything? He will out grow that eventually, honestly. He must know he is loved so remind him often of all the people who love him. Really reward him when he does something right, and please let us know how he is doing. Thank you for doing your best for a lonely little boy!