Switching Meds - Ugh!

Going to keep this one really short but vent a bit to free my cluttered mind & heart. Putting it bluntly, changing meds really stinks! It bothers me tremendously to have my little boy taking a powerful drug every day of his life. We have chosen an extremely healthy lifestyle for our family this year & we love the results. But every single pill saddens my heart. I wish we could completely eliminate this treatment. Maybe someday. The 4 days after quitting Adderal became increasingly awful in our home. Bobby couldn't focus, made worse impulsive decisions & wasn't really enjoyed by anyone. Sad, but true. Not his fault. This is a demon no child deserves. Unfortunately the Ritalin (which he has never taken) doesn't kick in quite as quickly so those withdrawal days were complicated by the lack of medication. No win. Today is better. He is more responsive, more respectful and even-keeled in his disposition so far. The thing is, the medicine DOES help Bobby. He is an off-course missile without it. This is not a case of parents just not wanting any noise or movement in the house OR teacher wanting comotose children in the classroom. Bobby's brain needs the adjustment or he is a danger to himself. I'll keep on this path until after our family road trip. Probably wouldn't be safe for any of us to pull him off meds while spending whole days touring the grand national parks of our country. But when we return I think I may attempt a week of it just to see who my boy really is without medical intervention. It's been 5-6 years of meds so it's time. Oh dear----everything just got quiet. Time to go find Bobby. Where is that boy?!?!!!

 

Impulsive Shock-Talk - So Much Fun!

I'm Mom & I have learned to "pretend" I'm not mortified by what can come out of Bobby's mouth. He is seemingly driven by a need for "shock-factor" when conversing with friends & family, with or without Mom present. I've tried everything- ignoring, calmly & not-so-calmly dealing with it on-the spot and just about any other approach I could come up with. Nothing has worked. Period. He really is driven by this shock-the-crowd approach. I pray he never learns that Howard Stern makes a whole lot of money shocking the crowds.

When a friend begins a sentence with "Bobby was so funny the other day. He said...." my eyes pop and this friend will have to assure me it's a GOOD story before I will listen to the rest. Well, I'm just Mom. I go to bed drained from the drama and dream up ways to approach discipline the next day! Oh yeah!! Today I have a new idea. Maybe it will work. I told Bobby that if I hear any report of his mouth getting out of control, I would happily dole out 100 sentences that very evening. Additionally, the 4 weeks of swimming lessons will increase & I will look for more things to do during the summer (he prefers to hang out at the house). I told him he'd have to curb the impulsivity, THINKING before saying things. True to his SHOCKING form, he replied, "ok Mom" quite respectfully.

Consistency is critical in raising kids-especially the adhd ones. I will have to come thru the very first time I get a report. If I let this slip, I will lose ground. But, no problem. I'm up to the challenge. Parents know exactly why they "forgive" and move beyond those promised sentences....because the punishment will affect them the entire time those sentences are being written. The moans, groans, ripping the paper, losing the pens, pencils, markers, the long bathroom break, taking the temperature because child swears he/she has a fever etc... (if you honestly can't imagine any child of yours doing this, you're probably reading the wrong blog).

Bobby, "We'll love you forever. We'll like you for always. As long as we're living, our baby you'll be."