difficult child raged out of control this weekend

[cubsgirl]

Hi all;

Having been a long time lurker, I know that some of you have experience with this. I have not..in general my difficult child is good-natured, friendly, and interacts pretty well (better with adults than children).

I have no idea what got into him this past weekend but it was bad.

It started on Friday while they were still on spring break. difficult child was chugging down a glass of lemonade when he finished I asked him to put his cup on the kitchen counter. He absolutely lost it. He started screaming "You are a Mother ******" every other sentence. I didn't even know he knew those words. Every sentence had the "F" word.

He said he was going to tell his social worker at school how terrible we were (I took his cell phone away again) and that husband and I would get in trouble with DCFS. Last time we took his phone away he told his social worker that we abuse him. DCFS just sent us a letter on Saturday that that particular case was unfounded.

Then this morning he refused to get on the bus saying he doesn't want to go to school. He was screaming and creating a scene at the front door when the bus pulled up.

I'm not sure how to handle. I'm hoping some warrior moms who have been through rages have some advice. He is not on medications, but we are open to trying them if this continues.

 

[ML]

Any chance it was the lemon ade? Just kidding, sorta. I do know that when manster over does the sugar the meltdowns are worse. When it happens at our house I can usually trace it to anxiety about something he doesn't want to do, too much sugar or not enough sleep. I hope this weekend was an anomaly in an otherwise peaceful week.

 

[tiredmommy]

My guess is that his schedule was out of whack over spring break and that is triggering the meltdowns.

 

[cubsgirl]

Thanks ML and TM!

The lemonade was sugar-free - I learned that lesson a long time ago

He did seem anxious - maybe he was worried about going back to school because he hadn't been there in 10 days. He refused to get on the bus, but went willingly to husband's truck to be driven to school. I'd say I should watch out to see if he is having a bus problem - but then there was the 2 hour tantrum on Friday when he didn't have school.

UGH.

 

[busywend]

Yes, but Friday was technically the last day of break, so it was probably on his mind that he would have to go back to school on Monday.

 

[Jena]

yes exactly, i agree spring break, any holiday, birthday, vacation anything out of the normal routine can be some of the most trying times. you say he's high functioning autism? is he asperger's? change in schedule is hard and rough thing...

id' still punish for the mouth that isn't cool. been there done that. did you engage when he was flipping out on you? sorry it is horrible when they treat us like ****

 

[beachbeanb]

Seems like we are all suffering with the "after spring break" blues....P just raged on me again today...it started as he figured out school was looming and he had not done what he needed to do to have his privileges...so therefore...here came the rage. I just asked him to leave the house until his father got home at 5ish...so I am praying that he can stay out of trouble until then...or come back and be more respectful...hang tough people!

 

[TerryJ2]

Well, everyone beat me to it.
His schedule was messed up and he was in a bad mood. Add to that Asperger's and you've got an explosion.
These kids have trouble processing and accepting transitions, to say the least!

 

[beachbeanb]

It really means so much that I am not alone with these issues.....Thank you God for Google and the ability to find help in websites like this one!

 

[Steely]

Oh what a classic Matt scene.
Spring break is over? I have to go back into a structured environment? What? I forgot that everyday couldn't be absent of work and deadlines! Oh, and Mom is annoying me so I will take out the whole mess on her!
BAM!
So sorry you have to go through this, because it really stinks, but most of us have been there.
Hugs.

 

[DammitJanet]

Well that phone would be long gone and he would be welcome to call DCFS to report that you are abusing him by not giving him a cell and making him go to school. Oh the horrors of his life! Poor abused child. Yeah I would check to make sure nothing is happening on the bus but if it isnt, then I would really clamp down on that mouth and make sure he has substantial penalties for his actions. He is getting much too old for Im sorry to cut it. It wont work in the real world and he is old enough to face them now. They wont care that he is special.

 

[cubsgirl]

Thank you everyone.

Yesterday he refused to get on the bus. husband drove him to school and pulled his Special Education teacher aside and told her what happened. The teacher had a sheriff's deputy and the Assistant Principal both talk to difficult child about not putting hands on another person and watching his mouth.

For the time being he seems "scared straight" but I'm going to have to keep an eye and ear out if this behavior starts again. You are all right - I cannot let the swearing and screaming continue at all.