Good Grief!

Lothlorien

Active Member
Have any of you had issues with your kids since the time change? Even easy child has been getting strangely upset over stupid things, lately. He's been pitching a fit because I don't want to stop at McDonald's on the way home.

Missy is at it full steam. She hasn't been home twenty minutes and she hit mighty mouse in the head. I had her come upstairs to put her clothes away and she's fighting and screaming at the hangers. I calmly took the shirt out of her hand and told her that I think that she needs to lay down for a while, so we don't have a repeat of last week. We were supposed to go up the street and ride bikes with the neighbors. She asked if we could still go. I told her we'll see, but she has to take a nap (or at least rest for a while). I'll wake her up in a 1/2 hour or so and see if her mood has changed.
 

SRL

Active Member
Bummer. Mine adjusted to the time change in about a week. They've been doing standardized testing though so that's disruptive.

One thing that helped us during transition from school to home was a snack and juice box on the way home.
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Time change always throws me for a loop.

Maybe try thinking of what time it used to be and slowly reschedule things...or the snack and nap thing. I also find I need my bedroom to be extra dark in the summer. I need a cave so I dont go too manic.
 

Lothlorien

Active Member
Missy raids the cabinets and refrigerator the minute she walks in the house. She gets several snacks and juice. Doesn't matter.

After she woke up, everything was getting to her. We went outside and she just curled up in a chair. I tried to talk, but everything was a whine that came out of her mouth. Then my chair tipped over and she got some of my water on her. It was very little, but it was enough to set her into a tailspin.
 

Wiped Out

Well-Known Member
Staff member
difficult child hasn't had any affect but when he was younger it did affect him. Now his sleeping medications have him asleep about the same time each night.
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
They say that mania is brought on in the spring. Just so you know.

This is why I keep my bedroom dark so I can sort of regulate how much light I get so that I dont go into instant mania with season changes. We also watch my medications closely during season changes.
 

tiredmommy

Well-Known Member
Duckie's been struggling, but she's been off her diet for a month now, her schedule is out of whack and she's been trying to adjust to the time change.
 

Lothlorien

Active Member
maybe that is it....I usually have issues with her during the holidays....that's the worst, but this past year went more smoothly, because I gradually introduced a few Christmas things, here and there and didn't put the full decorations up until almost the week before. She did much better. Although I really enjoy the Christmas decos, as does my husband, we would rather have the peace.

She's been a bit manic for a few weeks and off an on since Jan.

psychiatrist appointment is Wed.
 

crazymama30

Active Member
Janet-now that you mention the seasonal thing I remember reading about that. difficult child has had a horrid week and the weather has been beautiful. We are also restarting medications, so that could be some of it too. Maybe a double whammy.
 

totoro

Mom? What's a difficult child?
They don't call it "March Madness" for nothing... I think my difficult child started showing signs of increased mania at the end of February and it is still lingering... all of the BiPolar (BP) sites and books say to adjust the medications and to watch for it... as well as the "September Slumps".
The time change increased dayligth all add to it. good luck to all of us.
 

Fran

Former desparate mom
<span style='font-size: 11pt'>Interesting. It seems every year about this time that many difficult child's seem to hit a rough patch. Maybe the unknown triggers happen in the spring. Pollen,change in sleep times,school, excitement of being outside more since it's light later. Who knows? </span>
 

SRL

Active Member
I think it's not just difficult child's. When I started teaching my department head who was a few years from retirement told me that things would seem long and hard come mid-February and he was right.
 

Janna

New Member
Fran brings up a good point about the allergies. When spring hits and Dylan's allergies kick in, it's always been a struggle.

I don't think the time change has much to do with it, but the last week or so Dylan's been, well, Dylan. He's struggling, not throwing any full blown rages, but very up, then down, then up.

I was hoping the depressive part of the BiPolar (BP) wasn't going to attack him, but as time is going on, I can see it may. He's very moody and is crying alot lately. Maybe it is the time of year, Loth.

I'm really sorry. I hope the psychiatrist appointment sheds some light for you. I will be thinking of you, and please let me know how you make out.

Hugs to you, my friend

Janna
 

Lothlorien

Active Member
The allergies seemed to have kicked in last night and this morning. I started the nasal spray and the Claritin last night. Maybe that does have something to do with it.
 

lordhelpme

New Member
gee i don't know it had it worse me or the kids. i'm still trying to catch up!

we have had a few rough days but the nice weather and long daylight seems to be helping us at home, school is still the same problems.
 

Janna

New Member
Loth,

FYI, Claritin made Dylan insane. So did all the others, Singulair too, especially.

He is on a nasal (Flonase) because all the allergy medications that MAY cause excitability make Dylan manic.

How long has she been taking the Claritin? Dylan is strictly prohibited.

Janna
 

Lothlorien

Active Member
Janna,
I just started her on it the Thurs night before she went to bed. I don't think it's the Claritin. We've given it to her before and never had a problem. She is on a different sinus spray and she's been using that for several years when her allergies begin or when she has a sinus infection.

She wet the bed last night.

She had fallen asleep on the couch at 8 and husband couldn't wake her up. (I had gone to a friends) He carried her up to bed and she woke up about 10 and came down to "watch tv" with husband. husband said she appeared to be sleepwalking again. He took her back upstairs and realized her bed was wet. She had already changed her clothes though. He changed her sheets and put her back to bed.

I came home about 10 minutes later and as soon as I walked in the door, she was downstairs. I brought her back up, but she was a mess. Crying over a pillow case, cause she wanted the "pink" one. I found a care bear one, gave her a hug and kissed her good night. She was complaining how tired she was.

She was up at 6:30 am.

If she's so tired during the day, why does she wake up so early every day? She goes to bed at 8:30 every night, maybe 9 if husband is putting the kids to bed. Up at the crack of dawn anyway.
 

tiredmommy

Well-Known Member
Loth-
I find that Duckie needs an earlier bedtime in order to sleep to a decent hour (6:30ish). It's very difficult to break her overtired cycle when it starts. I usually slow the household down as much as possible and work on relaxing her so that she can sleep well.
 

Steely

Active Member
There is a ton of research showing that kids and adults with bi polar are affected by the light in each season. I can set my watch, that when the time changes, my difficult child will struggle and we have to adjust his medications. Last year we added dark out shades to his room, and it has made all the difference in the world. You might just do a quick google search about BiPolar (BP) kids and time change, and see what comes up. I know your difficult child does not have a firm diagnosis, and she is a bit young, but with my difficult child he struggled with the light change as early as I can remember.
 
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