Growth spurt - cause of increased bad behavior?

[TiredSoul]

Just wondering if anyone has experienced increases in bad behavior due to growth spurts? difficult child has been eating a lot more than normal lately (he isn't usually a big eater and still isn't but has been eating more than normal). He is also usually very lean and I have noticed he is softer around the belly / looking like he is getting pudgy. A friend said a lot of times they chunk up and then shoot up (get taller).

So I am wondering if the increase in negative behavior is due to a growth spurt - maybe requiring a dose increase. Or if it is just that school is back in session. I have posted before about difficult child terrorizing little brother. I have been working harder at keeping little brother away from him. But difficult child is coming to him to pick on him. He is trying to start stuff with everyone in the family. Of course I ask him if something is bothering him or if he is upset/worried/nervous about something and since he is not a big talker he doesn't tell me anything. He will be belligerent and get in everyone's face.

Little brother keeps asking why he acts that way.

 

[TeDo]

Actually, it could be a combination of both. Definitely the growth spurt might require a dosage change. I have also noticed that my difficult child 1 is more irritable and confrontational since school started 3 1/2 weeks ago. I am kind of in the same boat right now but not to the level you are. We need to look at medication doses, too. Add to that the fact that your difficult child "might" be doing the pre-puberty hormone thing, too. I was told that sometimes the typical teen stuff starts way before actual puberty hits. difficult child 1 is in that area, too.

 

[Anxworrier]

I would wonder about amount of medication in regard to increased weight and age. But school starting is a huge stressor and prepuberty is gonna do who knows what! My difficult child will be 13 in couple months and doesn't seem to have hit a growth spurt yet, is super skinny, and is super moody, and confrontational with us about school. I am praying things get better soon and that he makes the adjustment he obviously needs to make in regard to effort at school work. Sorry you're having it rough right now! My kid hasn't been diagnosed officially yet but I am dealing with ODD and maybe ADD. He is obsessed with being in his room, playing on laptop or whatever. Lies about homework, gets mad when I ask to check it. And already has three no homeworks I the first three weeks of school. I have my second meeting tuesday with him and teacher and I know he will lie get defensive and mad and I don't know how to handle!

 

[Bunny]

That was us this past spring. difficult child got so big so quickly. Even the therapist was stunned at how fast he was growing and his behavior was off the charts. In so many ways I thought I was right back to square one with him. I was on the phone with the psychiatrist almost every day. Finally the psychiatrist said to me, "Bring him in. I want to see him with my own eyes." We did a medication increase and that seems to have gotten him back on the good track that he was on. If you think that a medication adjustment might be needed, call the psychiatrist and see what he says.