Mom at the end of my rope with sons behavior
My son has always showedild ADHD signs but we don't want to put him on medication unless absolutely necessary. Lately his behavior has went downhill fast. He's been disrespectful, defiant, and causing disruptions in class. I got a message from his teacher today that he had been talking back, not listening, running around, and been loud when told to sit down. It broke me because I have no idea what to do with him. We've tried different forms of discipline, none of which work for long. We've tried our best to talk to him and get him to talk to us. We're looking into therapy for him. He's literally made his teacher, who's been amazing and patient with him, think he hates her because he's always angry. I'm also worried about his mental health because he's so hard on himself. He says he hates himself and he's only 8. I just really have no idea what to do.
@energeticYard610 try to enroll him into some sports or to be more specific like,mixed martial arts or some sort of combat sports.
We tried jiu-jitsu and he got bored of it within 6 months. He's about to start baseball and I'm hoping it gives him some structure.
Try to figure out where he’s hearing negative words like “i hate myself” and get rid of it. Whether it’s from some content creators on social medias, youtube, games he’s playing, shows he’s watching. Monitor the content he consumes. Restrict internet and Netflix etc. access from NSFW/gore/violent content etc. Put restrictions on M+ ratings. have him signed into a YouTube account you have access to, if he’s using YouTube.
Give him stim toys if he doesn’t have any.
And know that the education system is inherently ableist and not designed for us neurodivergent people. We must adapt.
I hope this helps and am open to more conversation.
As a mom if a kid with depression and a friend to multiple adults with adhd:
The insecurities, self doubt and 'I hate myself' are part of the adhd for a lot of people. They need a lot of reassuring from outside sources.
And it can be very useful to get the right therapy. Sometimes medication are also very helpful, even if it is just to give him time to organize his thoughts.
But dont forget yourself. It can also be very helpful to have someone help you, with information, with tips on how to deal with difficult situations and how you can best help your son. And sometimes just to vent. Because you matter too
