OMG... difficult child Strikes Again!

[joneshockey]

I can't believe it --- B2 just hauled off and hit a neighbor boy in the face with a plastic toy and busted his lip open! We really havent had many issues with behavior from him since his psychiatrist increased his medications a few weeks ago... Now I feel horrible and sad that this happened. Unforunately, this family isnt really aware of B2's issues so its a tough one to explain to them - B2 now is grounded in the house until I can trust him again. Any suggestions as to what I can do with a VERY active 5 year old with- aggression issues that can't be trusted to play outside to burn off all his energy?

 

[keista]

Get a trampoline. It's been my saving grace the last few weeks. I hated the thing at first partly because husband moved out and decided this monstrosity would be a good thing to send the kids as a gift, but it has turned out to be a godsend.

 

[buddy]

do you have wii fitness? or similar kind of thing? You may need to go for walks if the weather is good. Being a mom who has to watch everything and always worrying that someone might get injured is so stressful. You have all the others to watch so I can't even imagine. Sorry he did that, was it just that he was swinging it or was he mad at the kid? my sister and I were just talking about how much it punishes us when we have to punish our kids. yuck

 

[HaoZi]

At 5, I think most parents of boys expect this to some degree, so looking at through the eyes of a more normal parent, was it way beyond what would be lumped in the "boys will be boys" category?
Not to excuse the behavior by any means, but don't freak out that he's totally blown through a new level of medications yet.

 

[InsaneCdn]

This is when it would come in handy to live on a farm.

"Go move the woodstack to the other side of the fence."

 

[Ktllc]

The trampoline is a good idea (I have a "small" one to keep indoors). What might also work is a crashing pillow/bean bag. It make jumping and crashing safe and acceptable (saves your couch!) and gives lots of proprioceptive input to calm and organize. That is very true for ADHD kids also (not just sensory processing disorder (SPD)). When he gets bad impulse (ie: hitting someone), redirect to wall push ups. It sounds seilly to say "Oh my! the house is falling, please, hurry! Go push the wall so it does not fall!" but it works. Count to ten and maybe do a couple more walls withs hands, butt, back, belly, whatever body part you can think of. It helps us at home when V gets in the wrong mood.

 

[DammitJanet]

Do you happen to have an old mattress in the house anywhere? My kids and even Keyana would jump on that and turn flips for hours and hours. Wii or Xbox kinect is also good. Wash baseboards. Ohhh I know. Shaving cream in the bathtub.

This is really fun for several kids but you need to make a trip to the dollar store. Get a dollar store big table cloth or shower curtain...largest you can find or huge roll of plastic at the hardware store. I just got shower curtain or table cloth. Get a couple of dollar store cans of cheap unscented shaving cream. Little thing of kids washable paint to tint the shaving cream if you dont have the paint already.

Go home, spread out the shower curtain on any floor that isnt carpet. squirt shower cream into bowls and tint with several different colors of paint. Not deep colors...just light colors. Put on floors, put kids in underwear...let them have at it. When done, throw kids in bath tub or shower, throw shower curtain either in bathtub with them or in washing machine...or throw it away.