FrustratedToNoEnd
New Member
Hey everyone. First time poster. Forgive me if this thread was placed in the wrong forum, or if it runs a little long.
I'm 28, and I'm not a parent. I'm posting this on behalf of my parents, who are in their early 70's. My parents are raising my 14-year old and 9-year old nephews (their grandchildren). We have concerns about both boys, but this thread is specifially targeted for 9-year old nephew. I'll try to provide as many details as possible.
The 9-year old has ADD/ADHD. Some classic smptoms...He can't sit still, always moving and jumping, always talking and interrupting. And if that we're it, we'd be fine. However, over the past two to three years, things have been getting worse. He has AWFUL anger problems. To the point where he will throw a total, out-of-control fit if the slightest thing goes wrong. It's gotten so bad, I, myself, have had to carry him away like an infant because his anger was so bad. When in trouble, he slings items across his bedroom, wreaking utter havoc. His relationship with his peers is always on the cusp of an implosion. We're always holding our breath in fear he's going to explode. He has an awful problem riding the bus to school. Always yelling, fighting, disobeying the bus driver. What's worse is the language he's using. Not suitable for adults, much less a 9-year old. And the weird thing is he can be the best kid sometimes, but in the flip of a switch, he can morph into this kid that really scares our family. We've tried a vast array of punishments, to no avail. In school, he's not too bad. His grades are pretty decent, A's and B's. He's been to the principal's office several times for anger and behavior-related issues.
My parents have tried multiple options. He's spoken with a school counselor and a outside-school counselor. He's taken a variety of medications, including: Focalin, Concerta, Byvanse, and Intuniv. None of those had any success. He is currently taking Stratera, which my mother is trying to ween him off of. My parents even took him to a (and forgive if my terminology is not correct) brain-wave analysis clinic specifically designed for children. They were promised some results/improvement after 10 sessions. After 22 sessions, and no improvement, they stopped going.
It's a tough situation for my parents to be in. They're raising two grandchildren, when they should be in their retirement phase. Their father is incarcerated, and their mother is around, just not as much as she should be. And it's always been that way. My parents, by their own admission, are not as tough on the boys as they should be.
Bottom line...After fumbling around the internet in search for a solution, I stumbled upon this forum. It appears you guys have children with the same type issues. I'm not looking for a miracle. I'm just looking for any helpful suggestions. My parents have been dealing with this for the past 3-5 years, and it's finally getting to them. It's literally taking years off their lives. :-/ I had a phone conversation with my father earlier, and the mere sound of his voice, saddened me.
Again, sorry this is so long. And sorry if I violated some type of introduction decorum you guys frown upon. If you guys need any other information I may have left out, please let me know. Thanks for any and all feedback.
Oh...one more noteworthy thing I forgot, which I've always found intriguing. He asked very odd questions. Questions that, I believe, stretch the parameters for a 9-year old. Like...What is Heaven like? He's often curious about death. He loves to play army (or other games with similar violence). I hope I explained that properly. He also asks questions about prison and "juvy", and what they're like.
I'm 28, and I'm not a parent. I'm posting this on behalf of my parents, who are in their early 70's. My parents are raising my 14-year old and 9-year old nephews (their grandchildren). We have concerns about both boys, but this thread is specifially targeted for 9-year old nephew. I'll try to provide as many details as possible.
The 9-year old has ADD/ADHD. Some classic smptoms...He can't sit still, always moving and jumping, always talking and interrupting. And if that we're it, we'd be fine. However, over the past two to three years, things have been getting worse. He has AWFUL anger problems. To the point where he will throw a total, out-of-control fit if the slightest thing goes wrong. It's gotten so bad, I, myself, have had to carry him away like an infant because his anger was so bad. When in trouble, he slings items across his bedroom, wreaking utter havoc. His relationship with his peers is always on the cusp of an implosion. We're always holding our breath in fear he's going to explode. He has an awful problem riding the bus to school. Always yelling, fighting, disobeying the bus driver. What's worse is the language he's using. Not suitable for adults, much less a 9-year old. And the weird thing is he can be the best kid sometimes, but in the flip of a switch, he can morph into this kid that really scares our family. We've tried a vast array of punishments, to no avail. In school, he's not too bad. His grades are pretty decent, A's and B's. He's been to the principal's office several times for anger and behavior-related issues.
My parents have tried multiple options. He's spoken with a school counselor and a outside-school counselor. He's taken a variety of medications, including: Focalin, Concerta, Byvanse, and Intuniv. None of those had any success. He is currently taking Stratera, which my mother is trying to ween him off of. My parents even took him to a (and forgive if my terminology is not correct) brain-wave analysis clinic specifically designed for children. They were promised some results/improvement after 10 sessions. After 22 sessions, and no improvement, they stopped going.
It's a tough situation for my parents to be in. They're raising two grandchildren, when they should be in their retirement phase. Their father is incarcerated, and their mother is around, just not as much as she should be. And it's always been that way. My parents, by their own admission, are not as tough on the boys as they should be.
Bottom line...After fumbling around the internet in search for a solution, I stumbled upon this forum. It appears you guys have children with the same type issues. I'm not looking for a miracle. I'm just looking for any helpful suggestions. My parents have been dealing with this for the past 3-5 years, and it's finally getting to them. It's literally taking years off their lives. :-/ I had a phone conversation with my father earlier, and the mere sound of his voice, saddened me.
Again, sorry this is so long. And sorry if I violated some type of introduction decorum you guys frown upon. If you guys need any other information I may have left out, please let me know. Thanks for any and all feedback.
Oh...one more noteworthy thing I forgot, which I've always found intriguing. He asked very odd questions. Questions that, I believe, stretch the parameters for a 9-year old. Like...What is Heaven like? He's often curious about death. He loves to play army (or other games with similar violence). I hope I explained that properly. He also asks questions about prison and "juvy", and what they're like.
