I know I am so please, please calm me down.
Sorry to do yet another AIBU but I have tried this in special needs and not really got a response (not moaning about that, I know its a bit specific).
DS2 is nearly 7. He has global learning delay & auditory processing disorder. He was neglected as a very young baby and had a pretty traumatic first few years even though he first starting living with us at 8 weeks.
We had no PR for two years so had to do as we were told by SS and this pretty much revolved around his birth mother's wants. When that calmed down DD got sick and two years later she died.
He has issues but is amazingly resiliant and I love him so so much.
Anyway - the thing that is dementing me may sound trivial.
He has persistantly taken food. It tends to be sweet things. He has gone through 2lbs of sugar in a week before we noticed what was going on. We dont have sweets around the place often but when we do he manages to get hold of whatever is in the place. It doesnt matter where we put things he will take them.
He will eat icing, cake mix, hot chocolate as well as the ordinary temptations. He will also take indegestion 'sweets' (I am pg) and eat them by the packetful. I hide them but he will climb and dig them out.
I have tried talking to him, reasoning, shouting, going mad, sanctions et. We now have a cupboard in the kitchen with a (tiny) padlock on it. I couldnt stand the thought of the build up to Christmas being spoiled by him raiding anything I bought for special.
Its like a compulsion. I understand the reasons why he does it - from the obvious - he likes sweets, to the deeper - the need to fill an emotional hole due to the trauma in his early life etc.
I have just been in to tidy his room and found yet another pile of wrappers hidden under his chest of drawers. Including yet more indegestion wrappers. I had them hidden on top of a wardrobe, in a box with a lid!
I know its sounds stupid but I am in tears here. I just do not know what to do. Obviously we wouldnt normally have the amount of stuff in the house, I dont even buy buiscuts anymore because I cannot face the stress. I need to have certain things i.e. sugar and we will sometimes have other sweet things.
I hate getting so mad at him. I worry that he is going to get hold of something dangerous one day although we are really careful with medicines. Its because he seems to have no control over what he is doing (I am not making excuses, I know he can be plain naughty).
Sorry its long and garbled.