Food Pilfering - you'd think...

[nerfherder]

You'd think a 17 year old with enough capacity to sneak into the root cellar would someday figure out that eating 2 to 3 pounds of prunes would be a bad idea.

I spaced on hard-latching her door, in 10 minutes she was just taking her coat off when I went to see if she wanted to come with me for a quick ride to get some eggs.

Pockets were stuffed with prunes.

At least this time she wasn't trying to hide a dozen apples in her bra and brazenly lying about it.

You guys, y'know, I took Kiddo's behavior really hard, until I saw what *real* problems look like. And how you guys manage to cope, well, now I have role models. Thanks (although I'm sure we all would rather have the causes be otherwise.)

Blade steel needs fire for tempering. Too hot and it'll crack, amazing that some of yall haven't cracked. Thanks.

 

[buddy]

LOL, it's always relative right? I think some of us with kids who have clear cut developmental conditions and diagnoses may have some crazy behaviors and worries but I always feel grateful I don't ever have anyone doubting me, and that is huge. My lid is not borderline in any way and ive never had to fight for the right to get services. Now, I've certainly had to fight for types of services and to deal with incompetent providers, but never whether or not he qualifies. So many here had typical kids (or at least kids with potential to be successfully independent ) then they became addicted or a mental illness started/became worse etc. There's something to be said for never wondering if I do this or that whether he will be "typically " functioning. Sounds strange to appreciate a position of less hope for my kid to be "normal" but I think the road is more challenging emotionally for parents who have hope/no hope on such a challenging rollercoaster. My son? It's more like..... will he need 24/7 line of sight supervision, or could it be 24/7 availability of supervision, Know what I mean?? He will always need support, so I can move past that wondering and going through that grieving.

Wow, don't know where that came from, you just made me realize that yeah, behaviors and issues are all relative. I think most people even here probably view living with my son and the severity of his behaviors unbearable, but it's all what you are used to I suppose, and not like we get a choice really!

The hoarding of things? My son goes through spells. I have to hide treats because food is gone in a day (whole boxes of things or all the bananas etc. ) He hoards objects like tennis balls, and it used to be old cigarette butts. So gross and I finally cut the seams out of his pockets and he now has stopped (plus we moved to a house where neighbors dont have cans with butts on shared porches. Our decks are huge and private here, no way to get at them if they do have some sitting out.

The apples in the bra image made me laugh! (Sorry)... it's crazy making at.the time usually, but you can laugh later, right?. I don't think I'll ever laugh about our aggressive behavior issues but some of the behaviors are kind of humerous (once they're done).

Sorry for the challenge, and thanks for sharing. Hugs.

 

[StressedM0mma]

It is all relative. There are times that I wish our issues were more cut and dry. People often think she is making it up, or that she would behave better if I were a stricter parent. I so wish that were the case.

But, I can always hold out hope that difficult child will manage to "see the light" and be a productive happy adult. I see glimpses every once in awhile, but then they disappear.

 

[nerfherder]

Oh that girl. I *knew* I kept smelling apples in our cottage, found and sealed off (I hope!) one last hidey hole.
I also cut out her coat pocket lining and crazy-glued her pocket zippers shut. She gets a pat-down whenever she is out of sight more than a minute or so.

At this time she is on a waiting list for an ISLA group home. Housemate feels that if we can get her behaviors under control either through constant monitoring, medication or whatever, she would do ok if we built her a little cottage of her own on the property. I'm not so much down with that, though, very burned out with the behaviors and the paperwork and the worry that something we do, some choice we make, will get us in trouble.

 

[Hound dog]

I used to eat 5 lbs of apples and or 3 lbs of carrots as a snack years ago. No joke. Loved them. My mom couldn't keep them in the house. She didn't complain because at least it was fruit and veggies and not some junk food, not that she ever bought junk food. lol

Travis used to raid the kitchen on a reg basis clear through the teen years. I thought I'd never get him to quit. Once he got a job, however, he discovered quickly that gobbled up food had to be replaced......and HE had to replace it. Took about a year, but it cured him. That was a few yrs ago. Now he's got much better self control.......he's been practicing harder this past year.

 

[rejectedmom]

No matter what the mental health issues they can be challenging to deal with and at times just drive us the parent/caregiver crazy. I too am laughing at the bra full of apples. got a funny visual on that. -RM

 

[InsaneCdn]

Blade steel needs fire for tempering. Too hot and it'll crack, amazing that some of yall haven't cracked

Nerfherder... you are too generous.
You'd be surprised at how many of us HAVE cracked.... some more than once.
Me? I'm not sure if I'm held together with spit-and-bubblegum, or with MIG-welded patches.
Sometimes... both.
Which of course is why I'm "insane".