I need advise on how to keep our family safe when son wakes up at 2 AM

InTheMoment

New Member
My 9 yo woke up at 2 am at his facility last night, went around punching other kids and had police contact. I know that staff are up all night and I am not sure, maybe some of this happened during breakfast. My son has ADHD and ODD. He's too young to diagnosis with anything else at this point but they are flipping around the "Disassociative" word more frequently now. So we will see.

My question is, when he does come home to us, which they are forseeing to be Aug or Sept 2019, what precautions can I take (obviously locking doors to other kids' rooms is a must, making the kitchen child-proof etc will be a given)? Looking for ideas. I know i have several months but why wait. I also obviously can't stay up all night long or sleep outside his door every night haha. Thoughts? Thanks
 

ksm

Well-Known Member
Do you have younger kids at home? Pets?

Does the facility have an employee that helps to facilitate the child returning home? Can they give advice?

Is there an attorney you could have a consult with before your child is to be released?

I think security cameras that can capture videos would be necessary.

Ksm
 

Crayola13

Well-Known Member
If you have other children in the house and are concerned he might harm them, maybe temporarily move them out. Are there grandparents or other trustworthy family members who live nearby?

A baby monitor or camera might help. Putting an alarm on your son's bedroom door at night is an idea, as long as it's loud enough to wake you up.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
Alarms on his doors in case he leaves his room. Alarms that can wake you. They make them.

Maybe you need to find a facility to take your son long term if you are afraid he could harm somebody who lives in your home. It is sometimes a must.
 
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Copabanana

Well-Known Member
what precautions can I take
This may sound farfetched but dogs are trained for exactly this kind of responsibility. A trained dog would not only be able to alert you if your child roamed, but would serve as a therapy dog for your son, potentially, helping him stay calm and to feel secure. I would think that this might pull for prosocial behavior from your son. He would be responsible to the extent he is able, to care for the dog.

There have been mothers on this site whose mentally ill adult children have gotten dogs, with great result. Because your child is young, there would have to be a program or a trainer that helps train the dog, and train your child and you. I think this might be a great benefit to your son, potentially, in building self-esteem and pulling for positive gains.

Along these lines, I worked in prisons, and increasingly even prisons are seeing that mentally ill inmates in particularly benefit from the presence of dogs. I think a google search could turn up a way to go forward with this, if you're interested.

The only downside I can think of (and it may be a deal breaker) is how the other kids would react if your son had his own dog.

Take care.

Here is a link:
Pets for kids with ADHD and ODD
 
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Pixie Dusted

New Member
The only downside I can think of (and it may be a deal breaker) is how the other kids would react if your son had his own dog.

And aren't these dogs tens of thousands of dollars? I know our state insurance programs would not cover anything like that. But a very good idea!
 
My 9 yo woke up at 2 am at his facility last night, went around punching other kids and had police contact. I know that staff are up all night and I am not sure, maybe some of this happened during breakfast. My son has ADHD and ODD. He's too young to diagnosis with anything else at this point but they are flipping around the "Disassociative" word more frequently now. So we will see.

My question is, when he does come home to us, which they are forseeing to be Aug or Sept 2019, what precautions can I take (obviously locking doors to other kids' rooms is a must, making the kitchen child-proof etc will be a given)? Looking for ideas. I know i have several months but why wait. I also obviously can't stay up all night long or sleep outside his door every night haha. Thoughts? Thanks
I got a nanny cam for my violent 7yo ss with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD), conduct disorder and other behavioral issues. It helps with keeping him safe and us as well.
 
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