Trying to keep difficult child's focused to catch up on assignments -- ready to scream!

gcvmom

Here we go again!
difficult child 2 is caught up on his work and just needs to put in some time on two projects for the end of the year. But he is having a hard time staying on track and focused this afternoon. He just ate some lunch so I'm hoping now he can concentrate a little better, but I'm getting a bit frustrated with having to redirect him every 5 minutes. :mad:

difficult child 1 on the other hand is very angry and oppositional. I know he hasn't been feeling well lately, so that's part of it. But I'm also suspecting that he is depressed, which would also explain a lot of the irritability and lack of motivation. It's really hard to use the threat of removing privileges with someone in this state of mind because that just makes him angrier and more defiant and less motivated.

I'm going to ask psychiatrist about trying Lamictal instead of Tegretol when we go in on Friday for the difficult children' appointment. It worked really well for his dad whose primary issues seem to stem from depression, with a wee bit o' hypomania/mania thrown in. I know psychiatrist said he was considering taking difficult child 1 off Celexa... and now I'm wondering that's a good idea or if he just needs something different.

difficult child 1 settled down a little and actually said that he hates feeling so angry like he is today. That's wonderful that he can realize this and is not so locked down into his emotions that he has no self-awareness. He asked if ativan would help him calm down because he remembers how it kept him from flipping out at blood draws, and at this point I am so eager to get him out of this black hole of negativity that I agreed and gave him 1/2 of a .5mg tablet. We'll see if it does any good. His dang IBS has messed up his school attendance and ability to stay current with school assignments -- this has been a really crummy year for him. :faint:
 

shellyd67

Active Member
I can totally relate ! Trying to motivate my difficult child is like talking to the wall ! He has a video project due in a week and hasn't even begun to read the book he has to discuss on his video. Schoolwork and projects are so hard on difficult child's. I am glad that your difficult child 1 was able to tell you how he was feeling that is a step in the right direction for sure. I am just anxious to get the school year over ! I am hoping my difficult child can relax, read his book but I am sure husband and I are going to have to ride his butt to get moving. Summer cannot come any sooner !:D
 

DaisyFace

Love me...Love me not
GCVMom--

You know, I feel that when someone has been genuinely sick (and Crohns plus IBS must be a special level of h*ll) they need a little slack.

But it's the end of the year....so there's not much room for "slack"...and that makes it extra hard.

Is there anywhere his teachers might be able to give him a little "wiggle room" in light of his health issues?
 

Wiped Out

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Gvcmom,
So understanding about getting difficult child 2 to do his hw-easy child/difficult child is the same way-she just doesn't seem motivated and she has the depression like your difficult child 1 so no types of consequences work-argh!

I'm sorry difficult child 2 has been so ill with his IBS.
 

gcvmom

Here we go again!
DF, some of his assignments have been waived by some teachers. But we really cannot expect all of it to be "forgiven." He has to do some of this work. I'm going to do my best to keep him motivated over the next two weeks to get this all turned in. Thankfully, his algebra teacher weights exams more heavily than homework, so he's managed to pull a solid 'B' in that class. But with some of the other classes, he has to actually do the work.

He got a few things done today. Not as much as I'd hoped, though. And he's got a cold this weekend, too. :( I'll just be happy if he can pull C's in the other courses. He's capable of so much more, but not this year, I guess. Counting down the days until June 17!!! :whiteflag:
 

DaisyFace

Love me...Love me not
DF, some of his assignments have been waived by some teachers. But we really cannot expect all of it to be "forgiven." He has to do some of this work. I'm going to do my best to keep him motivated over the next two weeks to get this all turned in. Thankfully, his algebra teacher weights exams more heavily than homework, so he's managed to pull a solid 'B' in that class. But with some of the other classes, he has to actually do the work.

He got a few things done today. Not as much as I'd hoped, though. And he's got a cold this weekend, too. :( I'll just be happy if he can pull C's in the other courses. He's capable of so much more, but not this year, I guess. Counting down the days until June 17!!! :whiteflag:

It sounds like his teachers have been pretty lenient and reasonable. You're right, though--he cannot have a pass on everything....sick or not. (And can you imagine the precedent that would set? Yikes!)

Now that he's feeling better, I hope he gets it together...
 

gcvmom

Here we go again!
Aaaaaaaand.... he missed 4 of his 6 classes today. Again. Pain at a 4. Urge to move bowels. Nothing happens. GI nurse is FINALLY asking about an rx for an antispasmodic. This is just NUTS.
 

tiredmommy

Well-Known Member
An antispasmodic (can't recall which) was the only thing that helped me way back at age 18 when I had my first colitis/IBS attack.
 

gcvmom

Here we go again!
Well, the GI won't rx an antispasmodic. WTH? She wants us to follow up with the pediatrician and the psychiatrist. We see the pediatrician tomorrow and the psychiatrist Friday.

I'm thinking of looking for a regular GI (the one we have now is an IBD specialist) to deal with stuff like this... this one obviously doesn't want to deal with it. :mad:
 

gcvmom

Here we go again!
We saw the pediatrician today and he agreed with some study info I showed him on melatonin being helpful for IBS, so we're going to give it a try! Fingers crossed...
 
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