Hello :)
I have a question for the mums/dads who are familiar with ADHD in toddler boys.
I used to hear about ADHD but I think I only know and understand maybe 1% of it all.. but I have had a lingering feeling for quite some time now that my son might have ADHD.
So he is 3 and a half years old, and he is my 3rd child.
Here are some of the things I have noticed about him:
- Can’t share ANYTHING to save his life. He just can’t. I cant even bribe him with a lollipop to share his toys.
- Cant wait for his turn; When it’s his sisters turn to play with a toy or watch something on TV, he loses his marbles and has massive tantrums.
- Talking about tantrums; if something doesn’t go his way, he’ll scream the house down and thrash himself on the floor. That will go on for well over 30 minutes if nobody intervenes.
- He gets angry and aggressive very easily. The littlest things will make him go crazy, resulting in him screaming bloody murder and thrash himself around, throw objects, destroy his sisters’ doll house (it’s always the poor doll house). And while he is angry like he MUST punch something or someone (99.9% of the time it’s my second daughter). Sometimes he is so angry that he even deliberately looks for her and punches her or pulls her hair.
- He tip toes occasionally. I haven’t seen him do that much but then again I didn’t keep an eye on it because I thoughts that’s an Autism trait rather than ADHD trait. Will keep an eye on it from now on though.
- This is a tricky one for me: At times he’a a lone wolf and he doesn’t like playing with others. In nursery for example he plays on his own rather than with others. At home, someone times he LOVES playing with his sisters (that’s when he’s not hurting them).
- He screams and shouts for no reason. He’s quiet for a while maybe watching TV and then BOOM! Random, ear-piercing scream. It makes us jump out of our skin.
- HE TALKS TOO MUCH!!! TOO MUCH!! And he MUST interrupt everyone. He’s the only one allowed to speak without an end. How dare we think otherwise.
- He snatches everything from his sisters’ hands. Same at nursery. Without asking. We do remind him to ask nicely and he does but at nursery if the other kid says no, he’ll get upset for a little bit but then runs off to the next best thing - At home is a different story; his sisters say ‘no’ and we have a 1 hour long tantrum at our hands.
- For a VERY long time, he would repeat this thing where is CONSTANTLY clearing his throat, as though something was stuck. Constantly.
- When he sees anyone sitting on the sofa or lying in bed, he is compelled to do dangerous things around them, such as jumping on top of me, around me, etc. I’ve given birth 2 months ago and when the baby is sleeping in the middle of my bed, my 3 year old literally jumps over him multiple times.
- No patience whatsoever. He wanted a croissant and when he finished it I told him I’d buy it tomorrow but of course he lost it, complaining about how he can’t wait and that he wants it N O W and not tomorrow. This happens with literally everything.
Other than all this… He is the most beautiful, caring, compassionate and sweetest little thing God has given me and I will never be able to express how lucky I am to be his mother. 😭❤️
DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT LOOKING FOR A DIAGNOSIS! I fully understand that some of these things are normal for 3 year old boys but I have a gut feeling and I just want to see what the more experienced parents amongst us think.
I’d appreciate your inputs and options and may suggestions. THANK YOU :)