Californiablonde
Well-Known Member
So on Wednesday and Friday nights my mom watches the kids for two hours while I attend my alcohol groups. Last time she had them, difficult child 2 was super hyper. He body slammed himself into walls and windows and even broke the blinds. Last night, before my mom came over, she told me she did not want a repeat of what happened the last time. She insisted I give him his Focalin before she came over. We usually get home around 4:30 in the afternoon, which in my opinion is waaaay too late to give a stimulant, especially to a kid who has sleep issues to begin with. My mom insisted on it. She even threatened to drop off my son at my elderly grandmother's if he did not behave.
My grandmother is in her nineties and doesn't have cable or a computer. Having to go over there is a major punishment for difficult child. My poor grandmother would not be able to handle him and his hyperactivity. My mom insisted I give him his pill or she would drop him off there. I did not want to see that happen, so I complied. I gave him his medications at 4:30. After my alchohol class was over, I got home by about 8:15. My mom could not stop raving about how good difficult child 2 was the entire time I was gone. Said he was like an angel. He did not get hyper once, and he even helped my mom clean the place up a bit. Only thing is he was a motor mouth the entire time (stims do that to him) but she said she didn't mind at all. By the time I got home difficult child 2 was still talking a mile a minute. I was very concerned about him being able to sleep. My mom assured me that she gave him his melatonin and he would probably sleep like a baby....yeah right.
My son was up ALL night. He wasn't able to even wind down and try to sleep until 2:45! Normally I am essentially knocked out from my Geodon by 10:00. I couldn't get a restful sleep, however, because I knew difficult child was still wired. I felt as if I had to monitor him while he was still awake, so neither of us got much sleep at all. He finally fell asleep around 3:00 and woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed this morning before I had to go to work. He doesn't seem to be suffering from lack of sleep, but I am! SO totally not worth it. My mom is still insisting I give him his pill every time she watches him. She cannot handle his hyperness when he is off his medications. So what am I supposed to do? Not sleep every Wednesday and Friday night so my mom can have two hours of peace when she is with him? Between me and her, I think I can handle difficult child and his hyperactivity much better than she. Most of the time I'm able to brush it off and ignore it, unless he starts doing something destructive, which is rare for him.
I honestly do not want to give him his pill so late in the afternoon again, but my mom is insisting on it. I guess I have no other choice but to comply, because it is absolutely imperative that somebody watches my kids while I go to those meetings. difficult child 1 is old enough to watch him, but it would only be a recipe for disaster. They are both brutal to each other. They hit, kick, throw, bite, scratch, and draw blood. I simply cannot trust them alone together for barely five minutes much less two hours. I guess I'm going to have to suck it up and take it, cause I have no other choice. I just wish there was another ADHD medication out there that didn't get in the way of his sleeping...sigh.
My grandmother is in her nineties and doesn't have cable or a computer. Having to go over there is a major punishment for difficult child. My poor grandmother would not be able to handle him and his hyperactivity. My mom insisted I give him his pill or she would drop him off there. I did not want to see that happen, so I complied. I gave him his medications at 4:30. After my alchohol class was over, I got home by about 8:15. My mom could not stop raving about how good difficult child 2 was the entire time I was gone. Said he was like an angel. He did not get hyper once, and he even helped my mom clean the place up a bit. Only thing is he was a motor mouth the entire time (stims do that to him) but she said she didn't mind at all. By the time I got home difficult child 2 was still talking a mile a minute. I was very concerned about him being able to sleep. My mom assured me that she gave him his melatonin and he would probably sleep like a baby....yeah right.
My son was up ALL night. He wasn't able to even wind down and try to sleep until 2:45! Normally I am essentially knocked out from my Geodon by 10:00. I couldn't get a restful sleep, however, because I knew difficult child was still wired. I felt as if I had to monitor him while he was still awake, so neither of us got much sleep at all. He finally fell asleep around 3:00 and woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed this morning before I had to go to work. He doesn't seem to be suffering from lack of sleep, but I am! SO totally not worth it. My mom is still insisting I give him his pill every time she watches him. She cannot handle his hyperness when he is off his medications. So what am I supposed to do? Not sleep every Wednesday and Friday night so my mom can have two hours of peace when she is with him? Between me and her, I think I can handle difficult child and his hyperactivity much better than she. Most of the time I'm able to brush it off and ignore it, unless he starts doing something destructive, which is rare for him.
I honestly do not want to give him his pill so late in the afternoon again, but my mom is insisting on it. I guess I have no other choice but to comply, because it is absolutely imperative that somebody watches my kids while I go to those meetings. difficult child 1 is old enough to watch him, but it would only be a recipe for disaster. They are both brutal to each other. They hit, kick, throw, bite, scratch, and draw blood. I simply cannot trust them alone together for barely five minutes much less two hours. I guess I'm going to have to suck it up and take it, cause I have no other choice. I just wish there was another ADHD medication out there that didn't get in the way of his sleeping...sigh.
