SRL
Active Member
My difficult child has struggled with gift obsession since around age 5. When he was younger it was the source of such serious angst that I finally had him do the list and participate in the selection and shoppingprocess with me. On the very worst year he wrapped his own presents and stashed them safely away in his drawer. No anxious anticipation, no waiting, worked for him although it wasn't the traditional idea of gift giving.
Over the years it's improved--still some stress near the holidays but not the 5 weeks of not being able to get to sleep kind of anxiety it once was. This year it kicked into gear on Thursday of the class party and hit pretty hard--moping, angst, anger at me for being so mean and not getting him presents and other unreasonable things. He started searching for his presents --not in the fun ha ha I'm going to find them but with anxious intensity. After a few days of that headache my other kids finally suggested hiding one of his gifts where he could find it so I "hid" one in a box in his closet which I was sure was the last place he'd think to look. Came home from errands this morning to a calmer, happier difficult child who told me he didn't need to look for his presents anymore. :faint:
No telling what the elves must do next to survive the holidays... :elf:
Over the years it's improved--still some stress near the holidays but not the 5 weeks of not being able to get to sleep kind of anxiety it once was. This year it kicked into gear on Thursday of the class party and hit pretty hard--moping, angst, anger at me for being so mean and not getting him presents and other unreasonable things. He started searching for his presents --not in the fun ha ha I'm going to find them but with anxious intensity. After a few days of that headache my other kids finally suggested hiding one of his gifts where he could find it so I "hid" one in a box in his closet which I was sure was the last place he'd think to look. Came home from errands this morning to a calmer, happier difficult child who told me he didn't need to look for his presents anymore. :faint:
No telling what the elves must do next to survive the holidays... :elf: