Rapid cycling son

I promised in the last blog that I would share my techniques that I am learning. First I want to stress that in order to be successful you have to be consistent and know that you wont get it Right everything. It is part of parenthood Yea for us.

So first I want to begin by saying technique one is listening to you child and acknowledged thier feelings this will go a long way when trying to redirct them. Two remain calm do not explode as this excalates the problems and will get you no where and finally know your triggers.

Knowing your triggers is just as important as knowing your childs triggers. Kids are smart and figure ours out early. So some question you can ask yourself is what makes my angry in what ever situation you have been through with your child, what buttons do they push and are they good at playing both mom and dad if so you need to nip that in the bud right away. Be on the same team, it shows your child you are not going to back down.

My son has been rapid cycling for a couple of weeks now his moods are extreme and it has been important that I keep conisistant and calm, trust me I know for a fact you are going to want to spit nails they make you so mad but if you keep your cool thier burst wont last as long.

So this morning for example he was on a 72 hour pass this weekend as insentive to come home I was really excited, howevr during this time, my son was really pushing my buttons and reverting back to old behaviors which I wouldnt let him, we spent alot of time acknowleding his dislike for writing an 250 word essay on the importance of bathing and another one for the importance of planning, needless to say after but feeling takes he finally completed, went almost to be on time was supposed to be in bed by 10 but didnt until 11pm ( which is great compared to 2 or 3 am like he was doing)

so this moring he did not want to go to school, I kept my cool and after much coaxing and positive reinforment he got up and got ready but refused to shower he had been in the same cloths for two days okay instead of getting upset I deceided if he wants to smell today fine my goal was getting him to go to school and face his day even if he didnt feel like.

I dropped him off at school only for him to walk to my work an hour later. I was angry and disapointed that he skipped school, but I told my son " I am glad you choose to come to my work as apposed to running away or joy riding with your friends ( his friends have cars he doesnt) but you are going back to school and then your unit. He wasnt happy about it, but told me he fled because he panicked, I know he gets confused and doesnt think very rational when he is cycleing and I told him I was glad he trusted to come to me and I will help him do the right thing by going back to school.

He got in the car and drove back to school, I took him to his safty plan perosn and explained what happended as he has walked my son through his day at school when he feels challenged by emotions, which is great. I know now since after this incident I am going to have to change his IEP again.

Not sure if my son will actually get to have another 72 hour pass this week, but at least I know I am now a more effective parent by being consistant and practings, calm, knowing my triggers and acknowledes my sons feelings. We tend to forget them when we are angry.

I hope this helped someone.

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