My difficult child jumped out of a moving car

[klmno]

Yep-- my son tried jumping out of the car several times when he first became a difficult child- along with doing some other pretty erratic stuff around the same time period. At first, I thought it was manipualtive and/or tantrum sort of behavior. Then, I decidded that since he was plenty old enough to realize how dangerous this was, it was irrational behavior, even if he thought he was just doing it to manipualte me.

In hindsight, I'm gglad I saw all the erratic things adding up since almost all of them were things that could have resulted in his death. The other ones were illegal. He still has periods of erratic behavior- last year he was walking around on the roof.

Obviously, this doesn't mean that all kids who do ONE of these things is bipolar, but if there are several things going on that seem out of the normal realm of things for a kid that age, it is worth having it evaluation'd by an appropriate professional as soon as possible, whether it turns out to be bipolar or something else behind it. Especially when there is a risk of it really being a suicidal gesture, since gestures so easily lead to attempts.

 

[dawnmyst]

My son was very good today. I am not so sure he did his homework but I am taking baby steps. When I came home he had a note that said SCHOOL so I would know he was at school. When I went up to the school he was shooting hoops alone in the school yard and I pulled up and said to please be home in a half hour for dinner. He came home in a half hour. He was polite and although he didn't talk much he talked about basketball and his favorite team, The Lakers.

He wanted to go to the grocery store for milk, snacks and food so we went together and he helped pack the groceries, bring them in and put them away. Then he went back to the school for the Men's League Basketball night.( we live down the street from the school) I asked him to bring the garbage out and he did. He also did not curse in front of me today. After he came home from basketball I decided to give him back one of the items of clothing that I had taken because he had broken a rule. I told him that I appreciated the effort he made today and told him I was looking forward to tomorrow. I told him I loved him. He didn't look at me but he didn't snap either and I noted a slight smile on his face.

Now I really don't know for sure if this will last. He knows that if he doesn't follow the rules which I have laid out he will have to live with his Dad and although his Dad is a pushover with him, my difficult child doesn't want to live with his Dad. I just started implementing rules a couple of weeks ago and haven't ever been this clear about rules before.

Thank-you to those of you who suggest that I still send my son to his Dads over the holidays. I will. It is very tiring and emotionally draining to parent our difficult child's. I am grateful for today and I know that I will have to take this one day at a time....

Dawnmyst