I made a big oops...

L

luvmyottb

Guest
Not really, but to difficult child I did. Whew! She was in a great mood when I picked her up at the end of the driveway. She got elected class president for student council and was happy. We get in the house and let her know has 45 minutes to unwind from school. She didn't want to eat her snack and got on the computer. Dad, me and easy child all had watermelon. She's looking a little agitated, not sure why.

30 minutes goes by and she's ready for her snack. She asks for watermelon. I cut the watermelon and whammo all h*** breaks loose. "Why did you cut it into small pieces, I am not a baby!" she yells.
Slams plate and fork down on counter. She wont eat it. Ok. Black rage eyes looking at me.

Asks for mashed potatoes. I pop them in the microwave and give them to her! She is giving me the evil eye the whole time so I ask her to leave the room. NO!!! and is banging plates around. Tells me she hates me.

So I leave to laundry room, call husband. Holy cow. This is clearly stimulant rebound. I come out after my short phone call and she is asleep and has been for about 40 minutes. She is up now and still kinda nasty, but stimulant has to be cut back tomorrow. Talk about mood swings! I hope the rest of the year is not going to be like today.

Just wish for calm in the afternoon. I asked her how she felt today at school and she said sleepy, not focused. :( We gave her extra stimulant patch today and she has had this level before over the summer and didn't get this reaction. But this looks like rebound effect. Hoping for a better tomorrow. Welcome back to school.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
Depakote can cause cognitive dulling. If she rebounds from the stimulant, why give it to her? I wouldn't want that every day. My guess is the lack of focus could be the medications. My own daughter could not think straight on Depakote...just a thought.
 

Andy

Active Member
So this is part one to the not calming down post!

She must have worked really hard to get through today and is letting everything out now. Give her time to settle down and then later tonight, "difficult child, It is so cool that you are class president. You certainly are growing up. Sometimes those around you are slower at seeing that. I am sorry about the watermelon - I was just trying to make it easier to eat, I would cut it that small for anyone. I know you are not a baby and I am exicted about having you grow up into a lovely young lady which I know is happening faster than we think. So, besides the watermelon, whatelse have you found people doing (by habit) that you are ready to have them change?" Then continue with a conversation about how she feels older this year than last and what that means in responsibilities (getting up and ready for school on your own, completing homework without complaining, ect.)

Even though it may have been the medications talking, sometimes we can use these frustrating moments to get to the root of something if we find the way to start the conversation without them thinking we are judgemental. It is hard. Good luck.
 

Wiped Out

Well-Known Member
Staff member
A blow up like that by my difficult child is common place. He gets upset over the littlest of things. I do like Andy's suggestion for how to handle it.

When my difficult child was on stimulants I hated that rebound effect!
How cool she is class president!
 

Sara PA

New Member
"Black rage eyes"???? Figuratively or literally? I ask because my son use to get black circles under his eyes when he was having an partial (emotional) seizure. And then fall asleep when it was over.

Did she ever have any neurological testing done?
 
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