Is your child a path of destruction?

[tantrums]

My DS6 is just one long, wild path of destruction. I don't mean he is purposely breaking things, but OMG it just never stops! He breaks, spills, stomps, colors on, etc... everything in his path! I don't want to read too much into it, as my DH thinks I do. How much is average 6 year old and how much is PANDAS? Is it the ADHD aspect? He didn't do this before he started with PANDAS this past fall though.

 

For instance, in the past half hour...

 

Got a drink, drank half, went to put cup on counter and missed with cup hitting floor. Spilled half of contents on floor and just ran off leaving it there. Had an ice pop and just threw stick on counter, also missing - Oh well... Went on bike for a 5 minute ride. He'd had me tape on a wind catcher, which broke as soon as he started riding - small meltdown. Ripped off the tape tearing off the stickers from the bike. Threw bike down on sidewalk ripping back of seat cushion. Mind you, I bought this bike LAST WEEK! Wanted a piece of gum from one of those you put in your car cupholder. He opened it and ripped the entire top right off so the hinge no longer is attached and the lid doesn't stay on. Forgot the spilled drink and got a juice box. Rammed straw in so hard, it squirted all over a chair.

 

Not to mention, during all of this, my DH came in from cutting the grass, took his work sneaks off and spewed cut grass all over my kitchen floor. And then looks at me as if wondering what my problem is

 

So that gives you an example of what I mean here. In addition, DS has this thing with coloring on his belongings with crayons. I mean, they are his toys so I suppose I shouldn't care, but I'm tired of his action figures have no heads, being covered in scribbles, etc... He climbs on furniture causing rips and stains, gets a new board game and promptly tears it in half or breaks pieces just by opening it, etc... He is messier eating than when he was one! There is food all over the place and I have resorted to placing his drink near me or it will inevitably get spilled by an arm flinging it to the ground.

 

The worst part of it really is though. It upsets him sometimes. He will just cry out "I break EVERYTHING I touch" and sometimes even hit himself in the head. So no matter how much I get annoyed with it - that even makes it worse

[peglem]

Yes, PANDAS is not for neat-niks. Wish I had a kid w/ a cleaning compulsion sometimes!

[tantrums]

Yes, PANDAS is not for neat-niks. Wish I had a kid w/ a cleaning compulsion sometimes!

 

LOL!!! I've been saying that for months! If I have to deal with OCD, can I PULEEZE have just a touch of the cleaning compulsion? Of course, I say that as someone who has obviously NOT dealt with it. I'm sure if I had a child with it to the extreme, it would be equally upsetting

[forjpj]

Yes, mine is like this, and then throw in all the things broken during tantrums. At least I got new basement windows out of it!!

[MomWithOCDSon]

Yes, PANDAS is not for neat-niks. Wish I had a kid w/ a cleaning compulsion sometimes!

 

LOL!!! I've been saying that for months! If I have to deal with OCD, can I PULEEZE have just a touch of the cleaning compulsion? Of course, I say that as someone who has obviously NOT dealt with it. I'm sure if I had a child with it to the extreme, it would be equally upsetting

Ooohh!! Be careful what you wish for! The OCD cleanliness thing can be a slippery slope! Not to mention, frankly, it can result in the kids being wary of touching things that may be dirty/contaminated, or setting them to ordering or lining up possessions, but it really (unfortunately) doesn't manifest in them being "cleaning freaks." Mostly, they just want to make sure YOU'RE keeping everything clean on their behalf ("Mom, what's that speck on the kitchen floor? Is that mud?")

 

Now, I do recall that, as a toddler, the vacuum was DS's best friend! He LOVED that thing! Loved using it, riding it! I had the best vacuumed house in three counties!! But I honestly think that was a sensory thing at that point, as opposed to an OCD thing.

[tantrums]

Yes, PANDAS is not for neat-niks. Wish I had a kid w/ a cleaning compulsion sometimes!

 

LOL!!! I've been saying that for months! If I have to deal with OCD, can I PULEEZE have just a touch of the cleaning compulsion? Of course, I say that as someone who has obviously NOT dealt with it. I'm sure if I had a child with it to the extreme, it would be equally upsetting

Ooohh!! Be careful what you wish for! The OCD cleanliness thing can be a slippery slope! Not to mention, frankly, it can result in the kids being wary of touching things that may be dirty/contaminated, or setting them to ordering or lining up possessions, but it really (unfortunately) doesn't manifest in them being "cleaning freaks." Mostly, they just want to make sure YOU'RE keeping everything clean on their behalf ("Mom, what's that speck on the kitchen floor? Is that mud?")

 

Now, I do recall that, as a toddler, the vacuum was DS's best friend! He LOVED that thing! Loved using it, riding it! I had the best vacuumed house in three counties!! But I honestly think that was a sensory thing at that point, as opposed to an OCD thing.

 

I can see that. My DS wouldn't clean anything himself, rather scream at ME to clean it anyway His latest obsession is poison "is that poison? Did I touch poison?" and anything that is different in the house can freak him out. He had a brief handwashing stint recently which resulted in soap all over the counters, handtowels on the floor, etc...

 

I'm sure if he vacuumed, he'd break it

[peglem]

Mostly, they just want to make sure YOU'RE keeping everything clean on their behalf

OMG!! My husband has this!

 

I'm sure if he vacuumed, he'd break it sad.gif

 

Thanks for the chuckle!

[Stephanie2]

I could have written that same paragraph about my son! Now that his pandas is under control he does not do that anymore. Much more calm...

 

Stephanie

My DS6 is just one long, wild path of destruction. I don't mean he is purposely breaking things, but OMG it just never stops! He breaks, spills, stomps, colors on, etc... everything in his path! I don't want to read too much into it, as my DH thinks I do. How much is average 6 year old and how much is PANDAS? Is it the ADHD aspect? He didn't do this before he started with PANDAS this past fall though.

 

For instance, in the past half hour...

 

Got a drink, drank half, went to put cup on counter and missed with cup hitting floor. Spilled half of contents on floor and just ran off leaving it there. Had an ice pop and just threw stick on counter, also missing - Oh well... Went on bike for a 5 minute ride. He'd had me tape on a wind catcher, which broke as soon as he started riding - small meltdown. Ripped off the tape tearing off the stickers from the bike. Threw bike down on sidewalk ripping back of seat cushion. Mind you, I bought this bike LAST WEEK! Wanted a piece of gum from one of those you put in your car cupholder. He opened it and ripped the entire top right off so the hinge no longer is attached and the lid doesn't stay on. Forgot the spilled drink and got a juice box. Rammed straw in so hard, it squirted all over a chair.

 

Not to mention, during all of this, my DH came in from cutting the grass, took his work sneaks off and spewed cut grass all over my kitchen floor. And then looks at me as if wondering what my problem is

 

So that gives you an example of what I mean here. In addition, DS has this thing with coloring on his belongings with crayons. I mean, they are his toys so I suppose I shouldn't care, but I'm tired of his action figures have no heads, being covered in scribbles, etc... He climbs on furniture causing rips and stains, gets a new board game and promptly tears it in half or breaks pieces just by opening it, etc... He is messier eating than when he was one! There is food all over the place and I have resorted to placing his drink near me or it will inevitably get spilled by an arm flinging it to the ground.

 

The worst part of it really is though. It upsets him sometimes. He will just cry out "I break EVERYTHING I touch" and sometimes even hit himself in the head. So no matter how much I get annoyed with it - that even makes it worse

[Collins_mom]

I have often wondered if messiness was part of it because my 10 year old who was diagnosed when 8 seems much worse about messes when having all the other symptoms of PANDAS but it didn't seem like something that should fit. I think its part of the ADD because I'll ask him 5 times in 10 min. to hang up his towel and he can't seem to focus long enough to do it. Much more focused in the morning though and better with breakfast dishes than with evening snack messes.

[tpotter]

Could some of the problem be Sensory Integrative Disorder?

[Joan Pandas Mom]

My son is the bull in the china shop. I think I am going to have to replace the couch and coffee table when this is gone. I'm with Peg, I wish he had the neat compulsion some times!

[smartyjones]

Could some of the problem be Sensory Integrative Disorder?

 

 

our new dr - medical, who sees many patients with lyme and kids with adhd symptoms - has a child behavior questionairre for new patients. one of the items is "destroys things with feet". my son does this - like constantly puts his feet in the game box top and if any item is on the floor, he slides around on it. it drives me crazy. i do find a correlation with exacerbation. i've forgotten to ask specifically about that question so i don't know what he's looking for or what that item tells him. i'll have to be sure at next appt to ask.

 

i think there may have been something about scribbling with crayons and writing on inappropriate surfaces, which my son also does, seemingly when less healthy.