Dear A.,
-Is he in preschool? Did anything disturbing happen at home or at school that is shaking him up?
-If you are absolutely, positively, no-doubt-about-it sure that nothing emotionally stressful occurred that triggered this sudden change in behavior, than I would start with the pediatrician. Your son may be physically uncomfortable.
-He could have environmental allergies, mild ear infection, sinus infection, toothache, "growing pains", hernia, etc.
-How difficult is it for him to move his bowels? Just yesterday, I was thrashed hard by a 4 year/old cerebral palsied kid's flailing extremities and bouncing head when she was uncomfortable from constipation.
-Have you tried giving him any Motrin or Tylenol to see if there are any changes in his behavior?
-I have spanked each of my kids only once, maybe twice. They knew that I don't believe in spanking, but it was my need to hit them beause they made me angry. How did I develop a need to hit if I was angry? Because I was spanked when I was a child... Remember that you are teaching him to hit others.
-On a humorous note, this is a conversation that I had 3 times:
Child: "!@#$", or whatever.
I spanked the child.
Child sniffling: "But Mommy, I thought that you don't believe in spanking."
Me: "I don't."
Child sniffling: "But you just spanked me. How could you?"
Me: "I don't usually believe in spanking, but at the moment that I spanked you, I did believe in it. I feel better now. I'm fine, and I don't believe in spanking again."
-My philosophy has always been that the more a child is acting out, the more needy s/he is. The goal is to get to the bottom of it and nip the problem in the bud. Fix the problem, be consistent, and the behavior will follow.
-Good luck!
Late note - I just came across a posting from last year June, 2007: Go to ... http://www.mamasource.com/request/12084064502375514113