pushed the baby bird from the nest

[smartyjones]

my son seems to have calmed down from his recent exacerbation. i've been using buster's charting system - he was averaging about a 12, a difficult days of exacerbation in the 20s. probably his first episode would have been 50s or 60s or higher. past 2 weeks, he's about a 6 - a few small things or one medium .

 

we've been out of school for snow for 1 1/2 weeks. today was first day back. school phobia was very troublesome last year, this year has been a problem the day after he's been out sick, which hasn't been that often.

 

today he didn't want to go but we inched out of bed, into clothes, into coat, into car. i carried him in and peeled him off me. he goes to a before care so i can physically walk him in, last year, he had to get out of the car himself and that was too difficult.

 

the edu. dir called me with him b/c he said he wanted to talk to me and she said she'd let him tell me what he felt and then assured him i'd be there at my normal time of 1:45 (we've been inching him into full day the past few months).

 

i know we have to do this b/c if left up to him, he'd stay in his room and read until school is out each day for the next few months until summer break. that's what happened last year. i feel he's doing okay medically so i really do believe we have to do it this way. he likes school and has many friends - it's just that we have been out and this is a change.

 

still is so difficult when he is crying and saying he won't like it and just wants to come home.

[MomWithOCDSon]

Hang in there, Smarty!

 

I know it's heartbreaking because we've been through similar circumstances ourselves. But it's wonderful that the school is there for him, too, and supportive of what you are trying to do in terms of getting him back into the groove. He'll make it, and he'll feel more and more confident with each passing day that he not only survives, but even finds moments at school he actually enjoys! When you pick him up, you can highlight the positive and praise his progress . . . he'll continue to get better.

 

You know those "Chicken Soup for the Soul" books that were very popular a few years ago? My husband, for one Mother's Day, bought me "Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul," and there was one quote in there I'm constantly reminded of: "Having a child is like watching your heart walk around, outside your body."

 

my son seems to have calmed down from his recent exacerbation. i've been using buster's charting system - he was averaging about a 12, a difficult days of exacerbation in the 20s. probably his first episode would have been 50s or 60s or higher. past 2 weeks, he's about a 6 - a few small things or one medium .

 

we've been out of school for snow for 1 1/2 weeks. today was first day back. school phobia was very troublesome last year, this year has been a problem the day after he's been out sick, which hasn't been that often.

 

today he didn't want to go but we inched out of bed, into clothes, into coat, into car. i carried him in and peeled him off me. he goes to a before care so i can physically walk him in, last year, he had to get out of the car himself and that was too difficult.

 

the edu. dir called me with him b/c he said he wanted to talk to me and she said she'd let him tell me what he felt and then assured him i'd be there at my normal time of 1:45 (we've been inching him into full day the past few months).

 

i know we have to do this b/c if left up to him, he'd stay in his room and read until school is out each day for the next few months until summer break. that's what happened last year. i feel he's doing okay medically so i really do believe we have to do it this way. he likes school and has many friends - it's just that we have been out and this is a change.

 

still is so difficult when he is crying and saying he won't like it and just wants to come home.

[thereishope]

PANDAS or not, getting back into the routine of school (esp when some bad memories are still present in the child's mind) is hard. So, if he has a couple bad days, don't freak out. Just take it slow and maybe have some nice rewards or treats waiting for him at the end of the day.

 

Let us know how it goes and try not to sit on the couch all day with phone in hand waiting for a call from the school. You'll drive yourself crazy.

[justinekno]

Where can I find Buster's charting system?

 

my son seems to have calmed down from his recent exacerbation. i've been using buster's charting system - he was averaging about a 12, a difficult days of exacerbation in the 20s. probably his first episode would have been 50s or 60s or higher. past 2 weeks, he's about a 6 - a few small things or one medium .

[smartyjones]

Where can I find Buster's charting system?

 

 

sorry - i can't figure out how to post the link - vickie?

 

it's from jan 23, about 10 pages back today.

[smartyjones]

thanks for your thoughts! vickie - it took me a little while, but i have gotten off the couch! phone in pocket, though!

[thereishope]

Buster's charting system:

http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...ic=6685&hl=

 

 

I think there is a "fancier" way to post links, but I don't know how to do that. I have various things saved in my "favorites" and just cut and paste what is in the browser.

[mama2alex]

Vickie, thanks for posting this! And Buster, thanks for creating and sharing it!

 

Somehow I missed this last month. I just created one for our son - it is SO much easier than trying to write it all down every day.

 

Buster's charting system:

http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...ic=6685&hl=

 

 

I think there is a "fancier" way to post links, but I don't know how to do that. I have various things saved in my "favorites" and just cut and paste what is in the browser.

[smartyjones]

YAY - back on track. he went to school fine today - in fact, this morning was fabulous cooperation.

thanks vickie - we went to the coffee shop for a treat after school for being brave. he was very happy with that.

 

i stated i think he's been doing well medically the past few weeks, which i believe is the overriding key. however, additionally, i so appreciate the techniques from The Explosive Child. i don't know if i think it's so much that it makes a difference in him and his behavior as much as in keeping the general level of everyone's anxiety down. it gives me a way to not engage with him. yesterday, by repeating what he's saying, i'm not arguing, convincing, explaining etc -- i'm still involved with him but not engaged. yesterday, he's saying, "i'm not going." i just said, "not going" w/o any emotion. i find it very helpful b/c i think my natural inclination is to try to convince and explain and that leads to trouble. (my mom was telling her friend about it and she was trying it out on her demanding husband and finding it helpful)

 

also helpful is working in small goals - he said "i'm not going to school", i said "i'm not talking about going to school, i'm talking about going in to pee". i was actually shocked on that one that he did go into pee. "i'm not going to school", "i'm not talking about school, i'm talking about putting on pants".

 

the school physically taking him was the key b/c otherwise he wouldn't have gone but the other techniques made it not so bad getting to school.