Wednesday, April 8, 2015

At my wits end

     I know my blog states that I will answer anyone's questions to the best of my ability, but today I have a question for any parents, doctors, teachers, ect. Almost everyone has had experience with a 'difficult' child, but what do you do when you have a child that's more difficult than your typical.
     I love my son, there's no question about it, but there are times where I am at my wits end. Like tonight for instance, he got upset because he wanted someone to come help him rearrange his room. I would have, but I had to help my oldest son with homework since he is struggling tremendously in math and reading comprehension. His sisters didn't want to because they were watching something.
     He didn't get mad like you see in old black and white films where the child just sulks off and says, "Ah shucks, mom!" He didn't say what some kids/teens might say nowadays either with the traditional, "It's not fair," statement. That's too easy and much too tame for my child. It's the full-blown-scream-from-the-stop-of-your-lungs meltdown.
     "No one wants to help me. Everybody hates me. You don't ever want to help me, all you ever do is help everyone else. You don't even want me here. Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!" This was all followed by slamming doors and kicking walls and continuous screaming to the point my head was pounding and my nerves were about shot.
     I attempted to go after him before he breaks another door or puts yet another hole in the wall. (Luckily, the holes are all in the old house, for now anyways.) I follow after him as he's knocking everything to the ground that's in his path to the kitchen. Thank goodness there wasn't any glass dishes in the way. By the time I reach him we are both screaming at each other and I am hot. I grab hold of his arm so he can't walk away further and I plop myself onto the ground and force him down into my lap. We just sit there for a few minutes in silence before I speak.
     "Why are you so angry?" I ask. He doesn't answer so I ask again, Still no reply. I have to close my eyes and breathe because I am so frustrated by his loud, piercing screams to his sudden silence and blatant ignorance of my question. I calmly tell him, "I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong. I want to help you and I am trying everything I can to figure out what's going on, but I need some help. I need you to talk to me."
     "I want someone to come upstairs and me in my room," he finally says. "I want you to come up."
     "I know you do, bud, but I have to help your brother right now, he has homework that's due tomorrow. He needs more help with that kind of stuff than what you do right now," I reply.
     "You don't ever help me."
     "Yes I do, and besides, you just rearranged your room a couple days ago. Did you ever ask your sisters to help you?"
     "No."
     "Well, why don't you ask them?" I ask.
     "Because they won't."
     "And they may not, but it's your room. They might be willing to help you though if you ask them. If they don't want to though, I can't make them help you rearrange your room."
     "I know," he says, "I know they don't have to."
     "But what happens if they say they don't want to, then what? What happens then?"
     "I'll be mad."

     This scene went on for another 15 minutes as I tried to explain to him that he can't always get what he wants at the second he wants it. He finally calmed down and agreed to ask his sisters. Of course they said no and it's like he hit the repeat button and it started all over again. This happens every day. There's no stopping his rants. My husband or I will tell him to just stop or drop it (whatever the subject, each day it's something different) and he won't. It's like he is trying to egg us on by continuing to say just one more word.
     I'll say, "Okay, it's fine. Just stop, please," and he's always there going, "but... I was just telling you, or that's what they said or...but I didn't do it." I want to just scream at the top of my lungs, "ENOUGH!"
     I can't even begin to count the days that I have hidden my tears from my kids because I have hit my breaking point and feel completely and utterly helpless. I have tried everything I can think of to help him and save all of our sanity, but I don't have a clue what our next step should be. His doctor prescribe him with some medication for anxiety, but it doesn't do much. It does nothing for his anger. He's only 9 years old and can be the sweetest, most caring little boy one second and then completely do a 180 in 2.5 seconds flat. I don't understand it. If anyone has any suggestions, please feel free to comment. I would really appreciate the help. Thank you so much.

2 comments:

  1. I'm not a parent or a doctor or a teacher (so basically, feel free to disregard my comments!) but I feel like your son needs a therapist or someone used with dealing with aggressive children, not medication (and with this I don't mean your son is a freak in any way, I'm well aware some children have anger issues and that's normal even if not the perfect scenario). Have you tried enrolling him in some kind of sport where he can spend his energy? Even something like martial arts will teach him control and focus.
    I saw you post in AQC and I felt compelled to answer. I'm sure lots of people feel for you but aren't sure what they can say to help, so don't feel like you're being ignored or anything! Being a mother of 4 is tough and I commend you for your patience with your son.
    BTW, you should change your profile from "aspiring writer" to just "writer." You wrote a novel, you ARE a writer! =)

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  2. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog and offer advice. All is appreciated. I have tried all kinds of things with my son and so far nothing has worked to help him control the rage within him. I am considering rugby next, but we'll see how that goes. I am nervous that he will either get upset and leave his teammates in the dust or that no one on his team will understand him (especially the coach.) I know I can't protect him from everything, but as his mother, of course I want to try. It's really hard to know what to do. I don't want to hold him back, but I also don't want him to be bullied either. I ask these questions every day and hope that somehow I will come up with an answer. Live is all about learning I suppose. Stay tuned, hopefully I will have an update on his progress soon. Also, I will definitely changer my profile now, thank you. (I apologize if I there turns out to be multiple replies to this. I have tried to reply several times before and it never seems to post. Hopefully, there's not a ton of repeats. lol

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