Getting through the tough time before meds kick in
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| Thu, 12-09-2010 - 1:45pm |
Just went through another morning from hell with our son. I feel like I'm trapped in Groundhog Day. Every day is the same. I give him his medication and just pray for some sanity until it kicks in an hour later. Until that time, he's pestering his sister (often hitting or pushing), running across the furniture, throwing and breaking things, picking up things he shouldn't, not eating breakfast, not getting dressed, just all around unpleasant to be around. I used to be a calm, happy person and now every morning I'm screaming so much my blood pressure must be sky-high. I know we're supposed to use 1-2-3 Magic, be calm, etc. etc., but when you have a seven-year-old spitting at you, destroying your house and belongings, defying your every word and causing total extreme chaos, it's just so incredibly difficult. I've tried sending him to time-out, but he defies that, too. He's too big and strong for me to carry up the stairs to his room anymore for time-out. I can't just leave the room because he can and will harm his sister.
I figured you all here would understand how it is in the mornings before meds kick in. I need some real-life coping strategies for when it's at its worst. I know what the therapist recommends (calmly tell him to stop, count, etc.), but find it simply not realistic anymore. I want to hear from those who suffer through this every day and have figured out how not to lose their minds or scar their kids for life with screaming. How do you basically corral a wild animal, for lack of a better description, and have a productive morning?
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Could you wake him up a little early, give him his meds, then let him go back to sleep for 1/2 hour or so?
Have you considered a 24 hour med like Straterra? It is what worked for us, and made mornings alot smoother.
One - give him the pill before he gets up - at least 45 min.
He is only defying Time out - cuz you let him -
Denise
Thanks for the replies!
Unfortunately, with time-outs, he's physically too big for me to manage. The only way we've been able to do time-outs with him since he was three was to put him in his locked room, on the advice of his therapist. He can't sit still for 30 seconds without medication, so it's impossible unless he's force to be in his room. Now that I can't carry him up there anymore, I just have to hope and pray he just goes when I tell him to.
With medication, he's often up before my alarm at 5:45 am. If I were to give him his medication then, it wouldn't get him through the school day. As tempted as I am to just give it early, I also can't bear the thought of calls from the principal's office over some atrocious behavior issue resulting from the meds konking out before the end of school.
Thanks for taking the time to respond, though. I do appreciate the ideas and support! ADHD sure challenges every fiber of your being, eh?
What med is he on?
I see your point - okay - there has to be someone that can give him the booster - I have never heard of such a thing - what if a kid needs insulin - this is not okay
Denise
Sounds like my son in the morning.
I so feel your pain. My daughter is the same way.. the only way I can describe it is Crazy.. the morning she's up before everyone else, but is SUPER loud, and will not listen.. bouncing around. She starts aggrevating her brother he's 2 years younger than her. and then they start fighting because she's pissed him off.. I have three.. the youngest is 17 months... it's soo hard, because bedtime is getting to be a struggle too.. The dr prescribed her meds for night time.. but now she will sleep for like 2 hours then wake up and be ready to go.. and wanting to eat in the middle of the night.. I have been having to up her dosage of the meds she's on at night so she will go back to sleep.. I Just want something that is going to work all the time.. it's soo annoying. The dr put her on Concerta which works well.. but then he wanted her on Tenex with it.. I find when we give her that she is VERY argumentative.. not sure what it does, but apparently doesn't work right with the concerta for her. We have an appointment with a new dr this week, So hopefully I can get something changed.. I think we will have to up that dosage.. her other dr wanted to up it before the beginning of the school year, but I thought what she was on was fine for then.. now it's wearing off faster and faster.. I know she can't control it, but it just makes me crazy.. I have anxiety issues as it is.. and she just sets me off.. I just want to
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