[bigham]

Hopefully someone can help me out here. My girlfriend constantly complains about her one son never listening, throwing temper tantrums, hitting and all around being a hard kid to be around. I recently met him and noticed that every time he acts this way, she starts to walk on egg shells to avoid a bigger problem. We had to leave the playground yesterday because he was breaking all the rules and pushing his sister, then on the way home she bought him a candy bar. I wanted to freak out. (keep in mind, I have 1 child of my own), then we went home and he started throwing things so she sent him to his room and told him not to get off his bed till we left, which was going to be in 15 minutes and he walked out and sat on the couch to watch TV. She never said a word. He totally walks ALL over her and throws fits to get his way. I have tried talking to her about it and she seems to think I am personally attacking her as a parent. They are not my kids and it is not my place to discipline them, but she is failing miserably and the longer it goes on the worse it gets. She is running out of energy to deal with it. How can I help her understand what she needs to do with out it casuing a fight between us. I cant even express in words how bad it is sometimes, the best one was when he said he hated her cause she would not let him go to his baseball game in just his underwear!!!!! He is 7 years old!!!!!!!!!