Never Enough

[Christy]

So the latest struggle with difficult child... He's insatiable--nothing is ever enough.

Given 3 cookies, he wants five. He will have a full-blown tantrum over this and usually ends up with none.

If he is given a snack because he says he's hungry, he will want more and more until he is told no and then has a tantrum.

When transitioning, he is given all the warnings about how in ten minutes we'll be leaving, we need to be getting home because , etc... but leaving still results in a tantrum. He'll beg for 10 more minutes and if you give it to him you will just start the cycle over again.

Bedtime is the same struggle and this is new; it used to be fairly easy.

Tonight at 7:45 (bedtime is 8:00), he was watching Monsters Inc. It wouldn't be over until 9:00. So I set up the dvd player and tv in his room so he could watch the movie on dvd. Since he started the dvd from the beginning, it wasn't over until 10:00. He then said he wanted to watch another movie. I pointed out that it was past his bedtime and you guessed it, a temper tantrum. This time it was pretty violent with kicking and flailing and him threatening to throw me down the stairs. This is the thanks I get for trying to avoid the bedtime tantrum!

He is constantly demanding things and threatening us when he doesn't get them.

Reasoning with him doesn't seem to work and I am feeling worn down.

Thanks for letting me whine.
Christy

 

[Andy]

Sounds like we are in the same boat tonight - even posting the same time.

I know EXACTLY what you mean. Feels like they take everything given and throw back in our faces as not good enough.

Mine is in bed for the night - I hope yours has settled down also?

 

[KTMom91]

No reward is great enough and no punishment is great enough...hope difficult child is finally settled and you've got some peaceful quiet.

 

[smallworld]

"Insatiablity" for my kids is a symptom of depression. It's as if you can't do or say or give enough to have them feel good about themselves or their lives.

Reasoning doesn't work when your difficult child isn't stable. I'm sorry you had such a rough time tonight.

 

[gcvmom]

"Insatiablity" for my kids is a symptom of depression. It's as if you can't do or say or give enough to have them feel good about themselves or their lives.

Wow, I never thought about it that way. This describes my husband to the "T". No wonder our psychiatrist said he thinks husband's mood disorder leans towards the depressive end. And that explains why Lamictal is working...

Okay, thanks for letting me think out loud here

 

[Wiped Out]

Christy,
I can so relate to this post! Sending some hugs your way. You should do something extra nice for yourself today.

 

[Christy]

Thanks everyone! After he calmed down, he fell asleep quickly as it was so late for him.

Good point, Small, about the depression. When he was younger these things weren't so evident, but as difficult child gets older, we notice more behaviors that are symptoms of depression. I picked up on this recently when he seemed to just go from activity to activity without any real focus or enjoyment. I guess this relates. He is always looking for something to make him feel better but nothing seems to work. Poor guy.

Christy

 

[jal]

Christy,

I too can so relate to this post. Nothing is satisfying enough, you go one place, it has to be 10 more. You offer 1 of something it's five more and no brings on the violent, physical outburts.

 

[mama2lexxie]

Oh my goodness, I can relate too! This happens often at our house.
Hugs!!