ADHD through the roof

[AndreaD011312108]

Today was a pretty bad day for my 9 year old son he was throwing things and hitting his brothers kicking everything.all because he did not want to share the video game I get my 11 year old son every weekend and him and my 12 year old wanted to play the game together and my 9 year old ADHD son went off does anyone else have this problem I managed to get him to take a nap but no amont of reason seemed to be working with him

[anirush]

I wish I could say that life is always smooth but that would be lime. My 11 year old grandson is in Behavioral Counseling to try to get a handle on not losing it when things get him upset. All the behaviors you describe fit him to a T.

His counselor said we need to watch first signals that he is starting to lose it and distract or divert him. But it happens so quickly it's hard to do

[AndreaD011312108 in reply to anirush]

Yes absolutely they happen faster then you can snap your figures my son is already on counseling thank you for your comment

[reg2018]

Video games were a huge trigger for one of my boys, especially around the age of 8 and 9. In fact, it got so bad he had his nintendo DS taken away from him because of how he was treating me. His tantrums were really bad and it would be over stupid things like how he thought he'd lost everything in the game when it shut down, only to discover the next time he opened it that nothing was lost. I kept being consistent about rules when it comes to behavior that's required for playing video games like treating others with respect, and I also have my boys take a break from playing if they are getting frustrated. Because this son would quickly take frustration to anger and take it out on others. It has taken him a long time (a few years) to learn these lessons, but because video games are important to him he does try to keep his privileges most of the time and stick to the rules.

[AndreaD011312108 in reply to reg2018]

Yes I also try to do those things I can't say that I have been consistent 100% of the time but I do try to u also give him.a chance to earn them back but for some reason that day if it wasn't the video game it was because his brothers wanted the same got wheel car that he wanted and so forth

[Mmagusin]

My son is 10 and he has huge problems transitioning from things he enjoys. Video games especially are hard to stop I think for ADHD kids. It seems to calm their brains or gives them that immediate gratification they crave. So when they have to stop or share, it's like the world ended. I try to give 5 min warning and be fair on cutting it off, for instance, let him finish his last panel. If he tries to do more, I take it away. No easy answer here because if you give in, they get worse. Take it away and ignore the outburst

[AndreaD011312108 in reply to Mmagusin]

I also do the warning but I give him a 30 minute warning then at 10 and again at 5,2,and 1 I found he does a little better that way I also start my count down early that way after I get to ok it's time to turn it off and he ask can I get to a save point I can say yes and he can feel like he is kinda getting his way and it's usually off at the time I want him too

[Brownstoner]

My son is 9 with adhd. He has a rough time when he has visitors. ALL THE TIME. He acts out , has tantrums and is mean. But he wants to have company Bc he is an only child. I don’t have the complete answer myself Bc it still happeneds. But I try to coach him through his “rough time” with a gentle voice and stern if I have to. But I also make him take time to himself and remind him of his coping strategies he’s learned in therapy and with me. Being aware that they often are not aware of their behavior and helping to them

To see and realize how they act. And also keeping in mind that adhd children are behind I means of maturity and behavior skill levels. Best of luck! Patience can be a life saver

[AndreaD011312108 in reply to Brownstoner]

You know I think it can be just as rough with one child as it is with multiple kids and that is vary good advice thank you so much my son is the same exact way that you describe

[nawilliamsjr23]

Andrea

Start taking things away from him. The things that mean the most to him. Discpline is the key and be firm! Stick to your word. We usually take his pad away or his Legos for a period of time. Hope he takes meds and has an IEP at school. You may have to increase his Meds!

[AndreaD011312108 in reply to nawilliamsjr23]

You are absolutely right I struggle sometimes with that part and I agree with you he does have a iep at his school and he is on meds he also goes to therapy but they can not up his dose becAuse he is only 51 lbs

[reg2018]

I think that so many times we question ourselves as parents, wondering if we're doing something wrong, wondering if there's another method around the corner that will "fix" our kids. The reality is that we're doing our best with the knowledge that we have. Our kids are also doing their best with the capabilities that they have. Those bad days we have with our kids are really hard. We wish we didn't have to have them. We wish our kids didn't have to struggle so hard to do the simple things that come so easily to others.

My wish for you, though, is that you have better brighter days ahead.

[AndreaD011312108]

Thank you for your kind words and I agree with you

[mmmtv]

One thing we've been trying with our 8 year old is giving him a timer and letting him play for whatever the agreed time is (say, 40 minutes) but he has to play in 5 minute chunks with at least 2 minutes of break time (he can choose if he wants a longer block) in between each play block. This gives him more practice pausing what he's doing and transitioning to another activity for a short while. We make him run the timer, which gives him a sense of control. It seems to be helping him transition better now when it's time to wrap up.

Maybe give it a shot?