gafirewife
New Member
Hello everyone! My name is Heather, and I just found this board yesterday. I literally had to turn off my computer last night so I would stop reading and go to sleep. Just reading all of your posts helps me to feel like I'm not the only one going through the trials and tribulations that come along with raising a "slightly different" child.
Just a bit of an intro... I have a daughter who is four, and while she hasn't been evaluated or diagnosed with a conduct disorder, I feel that she definitely has behavioral issues. We've been dealing with out-of-control behavior for over a year now, which I chalked up to "normal" childhood defiance. As time has gone on, however, I'm coming to realize that it's probably a bit more than that. It has now come to the point where our entire household is walking on eggshells to avoid upsetting her, because she becomes extremely hateful and violent when she gets upset. She can be a very sweet girl, but as of late, she's become more aggressive more of the time, lashing out at her brother and sister even when not provoked. She also has what I suspect is social anxiety, which we've been working on. She hasn't had any behavioral issues at school, but the resource counselor there referred us to a child psychologist when I called and spoke with her about the situation. She said that sometimes anxiety can lead to behavioral problems, and it would be best to have her evaluated and treated, if necessary, by a professional.
Anyway, we scheduled her an appointment, but can't get in until mid-October. Do any of you have any advice on just getting through this until we can see a professional? I picked up "The Explosive Child" this morning, and I'm sure that will be a good resource. But any ideas from other parents who have been through the same thing would be helpful as well! My main focus right now is just to keep her and her siblings safe until we can get her the professional help that I suspect she needs.
Thanks!
--Heather
Just a bit of an intro... I have a daughter who is four, and while she hasn't been evaluated or diagnosed with a conduct disorder, I feel that she definitely has behavioral issues. We've been dealing with out-of-control behavior for over a year now, which I chalked up to "normal" childhood defiance. As time has gone on, however, I'm coming to realize that it's probably a bit more than that. It has now come to the point where our entire household is walking on eggshells to avoid upsetting her, because she becomes extremely hateful and violent when she gets upset. She can be a very sweet girl, but as of late, she's become more aggressive more of the time, lashing out at her brother and sister even when not provoked. She also has what I suspect is social anxiety, which we've been working on. She hasn't had any behavioral issues at school, but the resource counselor there referred us to a child psychologist when I called and spoke with her about the situation. She said that sometimes anxiety can lead to behavioral problems, and it would be best to have her evaluated and treated, if necessary, by a professional.
Anyway, we scheduled her an appointment, but can't get in until mid-October. Do any of you have any advice on just getting through this until we can see a professional? I picked up "The Explosive Child" this morning, and I'm sure that will be a good resource. But any ideas from other parents who have been through the same thing would be helpful as well! My main focus right now is just to keep her and her siblings safe until we can get her the professional help that I suspect she needs.
Thanks!
--Heather