Dear Mr. Weisbord,

I’m worried about the beginnings of a temper in my son. He is a lovely, sweet, considerate boy, and has friends. It’s just that if somebody is making fun of him, or something makes him angry, he loses his temper. His teacher says he blows up in class. At home, he cries at the drop of a hat. He didn’t used to be like this. Perhaps we gave him his way more when he was younger. It has occurred to me that he might be frustrated because he has a lot of older siblings bossing him around.

Regardless of the reason for his behavior, please give me some ground rules for dealing with it. I am not the type to wonder about what caused him to be angry. I just want to know what we can do to correct it. He is young, only eight years old. I would think that there is still time to modify this trait and save him (and us) from becoming a bad tempered adult. Should we come down hard on him and not tolerate it at all when he exhibits anger? Or are we supposed to be more understanding? What should we do?

Whatever methods you suggest, I plan on involving the entire family, including the older children, so that we all deal with this child the same way.

Worried Mother

Purim is around the corner, and I thought this simple but elegant dinner would be nice. Of course, once Purim is here, Pesach is not far behind. I would like to hear from you, the readers, with ideas for this column, or any recipes you’d like to see for Pesach and beyond. So, give me a little feedback, and I will do my best to accommodate your suggestions.

People often ask me if I think that too much money is spent on shalach manos (as if I am the expert). My answer is no, I think it is money well spent. While a standard shalach manos does not have to be expensive – indeed, many people simply give mitzva cards – sometimes one owes a debt of gratitude to someone special, and Purim is a great time to express it.

You see, I normally write about saving money. I am writing this article to clarify a point to those folks who take my advice one step too far. Do you have to express gratitude with an expensive gift? Sometimes the answer is yes. This is, in my opinion, one of the situations in life that is analogous to tipping in a restaurant, a custom that is virtually obligatory.