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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask what you did with your explosive child?

93 replies

Heygirlheyboy · 11/03/2020 21:08

Currently reading the book, just starting but would really appreciate other people's what works for their similar DC. I have one extremely cooperative easy DC so it's not a general parenting thing tho I do wonder if there's an element of learned behaviour in it as destructive, behaviour often gets a reaction. He has been given a lot of empathy and understanding as well as tougher love. Consequences and punishment mean absolutely nothing in terms of changing or improving the behaviour and simply breed more resentment in the short term in an already difficult situation. In school he is overall very very well behaved but the teacher can see the restrainrr steam coming out of his ears at times over perceived slights ie he can't stand being corrected and seems unable to see his own role ie his behaviour led to it. I am drained tonight after a partiiclarly horribel episode out of nowhere that blew up in seconds. For.now I have decided to attempt to remove the oxygen by not discussing afterwards and just gave a curt good night..He is 7 gets a lot of one on one with.both parents and I would say I have a incredibly close relautonship with him but I am fed up at what seems like incredibly disrespectful behaviour. Anyone with similar I would love your dos and donts for what works and doesnt.
Posted in chat but no response and would really love an ear.

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Heygirlheyboy · 12/03/2020 08:20

Thank you all so much, a lot so familiar especially the feeling others' emotion, probably mine. The developmental thing doesn't feel right to me as it wasn't always like this and it has completed ramped up recently. I was s gentle, giving parent and it has changed me. While at the same time I know he could do with lots of fun with me I am exhausted. I have just given s big ranty lecture in the car, told him he was putting a cloud over our house :( he had punched his brother unprovoked while I was setting the alarm. I don't want to do anything for him :( I know this is not helpful. I was tge ridiculously calm and patient parent and now I'm the angry woman who's dropped her child to the cm with a lecture and just wants him to go to bed when he gets in. I know I am responsible for my emotions, not him. Will reread all the posts thank you all.

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Heygirlheyboy · 12/03/2020 08:27

I should say plenty had gone on in the house before we got to that stage.

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notthemum · 12/03/2020 08:39

@Fatted.
Very experienced former childminder here.
Please do not feel like a terrible parent for writing it down.
You are not.
Explosive children can be very difficult to manage.
You are seeking help and the support that people can sometimes find on these threads can be fantastic.
Ladies, Please don't feel that this is your fault. It isn't. Please ask for support when you need it.
You are honestly all doing a great job in what can sometimes feel like impossible circumstances.
💐 For you all as probably a bit early for wine.

Heygirlheyboy · 12/03/2020 08:45

Tiredness and hunger absolutely a trigger too and we do well here. Yes he decompresses when he comes in..we stay away from tech completely as yes has caused problems when finishing up. Re patterns it's from minute one in morning with brother and that spills over.. controlling yes, lashes out at the simplest no.

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MollyButton · 12/03/2020 08:53

I think you have to think differently.

Forget about what works with other children (even siblings). Forget thinking they should be able to cope with...putting on a pair of socks or cope with a party/fire drill or whatever.
Behaviour is communication.
If he is holding it in at school it will come out at home - this is why getting a diagnosis can help. As you can use it to get school to make accommodations that they don't necessarily see the benefit of, or may only rarely see.
Praise for effort never for achievement. Stop talking about clever.

Keeping some kind of journal could help.
You really want to start to spot: what activities/things help your child de-stress? Even if this is something like screen time, this can be very useful information. Try different types of music, or real silence. What textures? What foods? What activities?

Also rather than most board games, try to find co-operative ones. Try to find co-operative activities.

And give yourself a break! None of us are perfect. And we all need some "me time".

Heygirlheyboy · 12/03/2020 08:53

I know I need.to stop talking and.stay calm but there's a feeling of allowing what is really horrible behaviour. Right now he seems really unhappy at times and then perfectly fine and his loving self again.

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Heygirlheyboy · 12/03/2020 08:59

Thank you MollyButton believe it or not what you describe is how I used to think but my own circumstances combined with this have destroued that part of me. But yes I have always praised effort only, though he is achievement oriented himself, as of course is school. When it hasn't always been like this I don't.think a diagnosis seems right? He loves all foods and likes tv which we watch together. He loves playing by the sea. I will.schedule.more special time and love bombing. I don't know where my energy or my old self is gone. Good idea to think what helps destress rather than what stresses. He can be needy and wants me for himself but by the end of the day I'm often loathe to give anymore.

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Theresnobslikeshowb · 12/03/2020 09:04

Ds2 just had the occasional outbursts, minor in comparison to most kids, but explosive for him. He’s now 15. So I don’t know if this is of any use. But I would sit down with him and say when x happened, what was my/dads/your teachers reaction? And he would say I was told off/missed play/had to come off my play station etc. Then I would ask so what did you want to happen? It would normally be something along the lines of not to be shouted at/to stay on my PlayStation. Then go into so if you wanted X to happen, but you know that by doing Y, you aren’t going to get it, then why do it? He would normally say something like but I couldn’t help it/I did it before thinking etc. So we worked on well the next time you are annoyed/unhappy/frustrated that something has happened, take a deep breath and think about how you will be told off, and is it worth it?

Now obviously this didn’t happen over night! (I bloody wish!). It took a good 6 months or so. But he went from these out bursts at 6/7, and they became less frequent by 9/10. Now he’s 15, and we have zero behaviour, he is an angel teen both in and out of school, but he’s now very good at thinking about his thoughts and feelings, and talking about them. He’ll say for example, in school today x done something, it made me feel like this, and I wanted to do that, but instead I done this, and looking back I can see that maybe they done it because of Xyz. Now that could just be how he is, it may have nothing to do with how we responded to his outbursts. But we’ll never know.

What I will say is, it feels like it’s relentless at that age, but it is only a small time in their lives. If you can deal with it, and face it head on, without ‘just ignoring’ it (I can look at the kids I know now, who’s parents followed the ignore it, it will stop, rule, and they aren’t the kids I want my ds hanging around with, and I know that sounds bad, but I’m being honest), you will over come it.

Fatted · 12/03/2020 09:28

@Heygirlheyboy You sound a lot like how I feel. Absolutely worn out.

I definitely think this is a hard age. Is your DC is YR2/3 at school. This is the age that issues tend to come to the fore because school is becoming increasingly harder, requires more concentration and is more rigid in terms of routine. This is when they start to struggle and find it hard to keep up. This is definitely what I've found with my eldest.

DS isn't diagnosed yet. But even just going down the road has been a huge weight off my shoulders. For a long time I thought I was a terrible parent, I was doing something wrong and carried around a lot of guilt. It's nice just to have someone outside reassure you it's not you're fault and you're doing your best.

I do find life very hard with my DC. They are draining. I end up dreading the tantrums with them. I'm on my own with them on Saturdays and dread those days. I posted about it here once and helpfully got told I shouldn't have had kids. I'm also someone who needs time alone, doesn't cope well with stress and change (very like my DS) and having to be normal at work all day and then come home and deal with their tantrums is difficult for me. I constantly feel exhausted and overwhelmed. I'm actually crying writing all of this out because I feel like I've been struggling for such a long time and I can't keep it in anymore.

Ukholidaysaregreat · 12/03/2020 09:30

Hi Just wanted to say it is possible to be very high achieving academically and also SEN. A lot of ASD is related to social interaction, lack of empathy and not being able to read others. This is the case for my family.

Heygirlheyboy · 12/03/2020 10:03

I know.... dh has two nephews with it but ds was always v sociable and empathetic, often comments on facial expression and mood and I would say very intuitive.. my gut feeling is unhappiness or perhaps anxiety. And also some learned behavior from dh's previous short tempered outburst..

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Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow · 12/03/2020 10:04

Omega 3 supplements

MollyButton · 12/03/2020 11:50

I would really ask for at least an assessment via your GP, because if there is something to diagnose then starting down that rd sooner rather than later is key. And Anxiety can in itself be a diagnosis.
Don't beat yourself up.
And try to ration yourself. So you don't use all your energy and "Mum input" early in the day when bedtime is a trigger point.
Two of my DC are very competitive, and hard on themselves. But by trying to give the right messages I hope I make a little difference. And do praise them for specific things.
Maybe you could make him a praise jar: take a jar, and put it little notes (he can add them too) when ever he does something great or you praise him eg. "You were so gentle with the kitten" or "It is great you care about plastic in the ocean" or whatever. And encourage him to read them or look at them when he feels bad.
And doing some art or other craft in private, where its not competitive like at school.

Oh and A lot of Autistic people are extremely empathetic - that can be part of the problem.

Heygirlheyboy · 12/03/2020 17:36

I'd be more Zen with my dealing of it if I didn't have a younger DC who is being hurt and upset, it's very hard not to react badly and.then I'm trying to physically stop the younger one trying to retaliate while 7yo laughs at him. I feel like I'm in that We need to talk about Kevin book!

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Heygirlheyboy · 12/03/2020 17:38

We're stuck in now together for at least two weeks! I could cry.

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NotNowPlzz · 12/03/2020 17:39

Nurtured Heart Method by Howard Glasser. Developed for intense children with extreme behavioural needs but also works on all children.

Heygirlheyboy · 12/03/2020 17:42

Thank you I'll look for that. I think we need a massive reset button. He's upset today as he did a lovely piece of art in school but some were given prizes so he says his isn't good..this kind of.thing is so avoidable.and.is a bit heartbreaking. Stickers, tickets,marbles, prizes none of this is essential and it really effects some.

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NotNowPlzz · 12/03/2020 17:43

"The Nurtured Heart Approach' gives parents and teachers an absolutely clear understanding of how a challenging child really responds to normal ways of parenting and why traditional methods actually make the situation worse. It also provides a powerful set of strategies designed specifically to turn the challenging child around to a new pattern of success. Using this approach, it is easy to shift the difficult child to being a cooperative child who uses his or her intensity in entirely positive and creative ways. With the right tools, you get to experience the joy of having a therapeutic effect and the joy of watching your child succeed. You get to enjoy the compliments instead of the complaints that so often accompany a difficult child in every area of life"

Heygirlheyboy · 12/03/2020 17:44

Sold!

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NotNowPlzz · 12/03/2020 17:46

There's a free ecourse here by the creator of the method:
childrenssuccessfoundation.com/about-nurtured-heart-approach/

stargirl1701 · 12/03/2020 17:48

We ended up with an ASD diagnosis. Knowing that has helped, tbh. We've been able to access services that have made a difference and she now understands why she copes/doesn't cope.

Heygirlheyboy · 12/03/2020 18:01

Apart from the anger what else am I looking out for re ASD? He doesn't tie in with the obvious markers. Thanks for the online course.

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DysonFury · 12/03/2020 19:33

Took lots and lots of sedatives and rolled with the punches until she started growing out of it (at 5 yo). FlowersGin It's bloody soul destroying, so solidarity and hugs from me.

Heygirlheyboy · 12/03/2020 20:29

Thanks Flowers Well, before I sit down to my reading tonight I'm updating that I have poured in the love abd fun and affection in the last few hours and lay beside him there as he chatted and went off to sleep Star Thankfully a much much better evening. I told him we'll have lots of time together now and that I've missed that time. He was delighted and I feel so much more at peace tho still completely drained.

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Nettleskeins · 12/03/2020 20:55

I was vitamin.d deficient...at 44, look after yourself too..health issues can be overlooked when you are a stressed parent. Ds1 also.had a vitamin d deficiency which.only was revealed in his late teens. Dont forget the nhs rec supplements for d3, google.nhs vit d especially if you use sunscreen or have olive,.or darker skins. Very overlooked