Ugh parenthood!

[TVivian]

It's 2 weeks into the school year and my son got in trouble already! His 3rd grade class had a substitute teacher and he decided to get the class all riled up.. He started a dance party and was break dancing on the classroom floor while the other kids cheered him on. Today his teacher had to give me a stern talking to at the gate because the sub was so "emotional" that she lost control of the class.

Everyday it's something with him.. He's super outgoing and social and SO busy all of the time. His big personality is always getting him in trouble. I have story after story of the naughty things he does. I'm scared for his teen years lol. Can anyone else relate? Please tell me it gets easier? ..

 

[FerrisWheel]

It's 2 weeks into the school year and my son got in trouble already! His 3rd grade class had a substitute teacher and he decided to get the class all riled up.. He started a dance party and was break dancing on the classroom floor while the other kids cheered him on. Today his teacher had to give me a stern talking to at the gate because the sub was so "emotional" that she lost control of the class.

Everyday it's something with him.. He's super outgoing and social and SO busy all of the time. His big personality is always getting him in trouble. I have story after story of the naughty things he does. I'm scared for his teen years lol. Can anyone else relate? Please tell me it gets easier? ..

A calming lavender oil bath?

 

[not_ally]

Viv, I can't relate in the sense that I have any of my own, but he sounds like kind of a great kid really (also I remember how sweet he looked in the pic you posted months ago, from a parade or something?). Even though he might sometimes be creating a giant PITA for you occasionally w/the excess energy. My sisters (4 kids between them) have had problems with their kids not being out-going *enough*, and not having friends/kids that want to be around them (three of the four tend that way, although it is changing as they age).

I don't know where I am going with this exactly, just that I like the sound of him, and that he has a good caring mom, I just have a strong sense it will get easier eventually. Also, not to point fingers, but the sub should have been able to maintain control of the class, even if it required removing him, that is part of her job, kids get crazy b/c they are kids, right?

I am assuming that either this does not rise to the level of a clinical issue, or if so, you have eliminated the obvious things to check like ADHD?

 

[snappyllama]

Hang in there... he'll probably chill out when he gets hormones and has "things" on his mind. Aside from normal teenager sullenness and horrifying billy-goat smells, the boys in my family all start out loudly obnoxious and gradually get better.

The girls are the opposite... I've just now stopped telling my oldest daughter on a weekly basis that some animals eat their young. She's 21.

 

[Seawolfe]

An afterschool sport or activity that burns some of that extra energy off?
Wish I was there to see the breakdancing

 

[shunt2011]

Your story made me smile. My daughter was always extremely outgoing. I think it's actually a good trait. It's just a matter of figuring out how to find a happy medium. At least enough to keep them off the naughty list

 

[IrishLass]

Well, at least it was a break-dance party instead of something more nefarious. lol He sounds like he's a great kid but just needs a wise and understanding hand to steer all that energy in the right direction.


IrishLass

 

[commoncenz]

Viv, step away from the edge. I've been there twice with my sons. Once, I got called in to have a conference with the teacher because my oldest son was throwing away his homework on the bus and telling me he didn't have any. This was before the schools got wise and started putting homework assignments on the interwebs for parents to be able to see what their kids are supposed to be doing. Anyway, it appeared that my son was the class clown in addition to not doing his homework. So, we have the conference; with my son in attendance. At the end of the conference the teacher said:

"and what frustrates me Mr. Mason is that I KNOW that he's capable of doing the work and that he knows the subject very well."

I look at my son and ask him to explain himself.

"Well dad, if she knows I can do it, you know I can do it and I know I can do it, why do I have to SHOW that I can do it? Shouldn't they be teaching me stuff I DON'T know how to do?"

l didn't know whether to be proud of his intellect, embarrassed by his cheekiness or just flabbergasted. That kid is now working for the government in computer tech and a member of the Air National Guard.

The younger one was just ... well, he was just a handful. Liked to torment teachers. Once ran around the hallways of the entire school with his teacher chasing after him. The whole time he's singing "run, run as fast as you can .. you can't catch me I'm the gingerbread man" (He was in Kindergarten). I get "the phone call" and go to the school to pick him up. The principal asked him why he had done what he did. His response:

"Because it was fun and Mrs. ________ needs to get exercise. She sits in that chair eating all the time while we're supposed to take a nap."

SMH ... That kid is now an 18 year old Senior who has made the honor roll every semester of high school and is sifting through offers for scholarships. Wants to BE a teacher/wrestling coach if he doesn't take an ROTC scholarship.

So, there will be light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[not_ally]

Those are great stories, Patrick! Your kid stories always make me laugh. I gotta admit, Viv, your's did too, a little, which I why I found it endearing rather than alarming.

 

[TVivian]

Viv, I can't relate in the sense that I have any of my own, but he sounds like kind of a great kid really (also I remember how sweet he looked in the pic you posted months ago, from a parade or something?). Even though he might sometimes be creating a giant PITA for you occasionally w/the excess energy. My sisters (4 kids between them) have had problems with their kids not being out-going *enough*, and not having friends/kids that want to be around them (three of the four tend that way, although it is changing as they age).

I don't know where I am going with this exactly, just that I like the sound of him, and that he has a good caring mom, I just have a strong sense it will get easier eventually. Also, not to point fingers, but the sub should have been able to maintain control of the class, even if it required removing him, that is part of her job, kids get crazy b/c they are kids, right?

I am assuming that either this does not rise to the level of a clinical issue, or if so, you have eliminated the obvious things to check like ADHD?

NA , he really is a great kid and he is sweet but geez he's a lot of work! I agree that the sub blamed him that she couldn't get the class in order after he got them crazy. I asked him if the sub was young, and he said yes.. So she was probably ashamed to have to send him to the principal. Which is what I think she should have done if it was that bad.

As for ADHD, the pediatrician says no but I say probably. I think I have it too!

 

[TVivian]

Hang in there... he'll probably chill out when he gets hormones and has "things" on his mind. Aside from normal teenager sullenness and horrifying billy-goat smells, the boys in my family all start out loudly obnoxious and gradually get better.

The girls are the opposite... I've just now stopped telling my oldest daughter on a weekly basis that some animals eat their young. She's 21.

Snappy, this is what I'm hoping! Everyone keeps telling me that boys get easier as they get older. I'm putting all of my hope in that! My teen girls are easy! They're quiet and bookish. They spoiled me and did not prepare me for boys!

 

[TVivian]

I'm in the middle of helping him write apology letters... Be right back

 

[fuzz-juzz]

I don't think I can help you but all I can say is that you are not alone.
I have 8 year old girl going on 18 and last night she actually made me cry. And it's not the first time. I am SO fed up with her.
At school she's an angel, at home complete monster.
I am petrified of what her teenage years will bring.

 

[Stacyspy]

Yeah, my stepson couldn't manage to finish the first week of school...sigh... The nurse calls me this morning and tells me I have to pick him up because he has a fever...of 99.9...and he can't come back until Monday, just to be sure he isn't sick. So he thought he was going to come home and eat and watch TV and go in the pool. He got very angry that I gave him 2 aspirin and sent him to bed. Later, when stepdaughter gets home, she tells me how the kids on the bus are talking about Justin and how he took paper towels and wet them with hot water...because he's decided he isn't going to school...
I may start drinking heavily....

 

[not_ally]

Oh, good, I'm glad the pediatrician said no. I hesitated to even bring it up b/c I didn't want to sound alarming and it seems like docs are too quick to diagnose it these days, but I I just wanted to flag it in the very unlikely event (since you live in LA like me, and it seems to w/about 90% of kids in the general population) that it hadn't come up.

I kind of hate the fact that it is so *overdiagnosed* (IMO) b/c then kids get put on meds that they sometimes do not need, and also the over-cautioning/diagnosis makes people disregard legitimate diagnoses when their kids could actually benefit. Sorry, this is a hobby horse from some personal experience. Your kid still just sounds like the normal "OMG, when is he going to grow out of this phase" type, though. It would be great if you could video tape the break dancing for posterity, and I for one would really like to see it if he is up for a public demo

Fuzz-juzz, my middle sister's daughter is 5 and she is *way* worse than the boys. A will of steel and a temper to go with it. She frequently gets put in time out, the last time my sister came back after a few minutes and said "Liv, have you had a chance to think about things?" Response "I did think about them, and I think *you* should think about them." Man, kids are scary, I really wanted them when I was younger, but at 52 I am kind of relieved I just have dogs

 

[Susie]

Hang in there. It may get better. If I had known then what I know now, I would have put mine in track or something. I hesitated because he is dyslexic, and he and I spent all after school hours learning what he should have gotten during the day. If I had it to do over, I would have homeschooled. I had to teach him anyway, and letting him have a run around the yard between subjects might have saved my sanity.

 

[rparrny]

My son is the prime example of why some mother mammals eat their young...
I think my daughter was a reward for not consuming him....
As if I didn't think it would get any worse, then he turned 13, that very week it was like an alien took over his body...and kept it until he went into the Navy at 20...then he was THEIR problem.
Well he became a cryptologist with a top secret clearance...got a medal for doing something great but we can never know what that is (I could tell ya mom but then I would have to kill ya). He's mid 30s now and I'm glad I didn't eat him...but boy it took a long time.
Hang in there!

 

[TVivian]

I don't think I can help you but all I can say is that you are not alone.
I have 8 year old girl going on 18 and last night she actually made me cry. And it's not the first time. I am SO fed up with her.
At school she's an angel, at home complete monster.
I am petrified of what her teenage years will bring.

I sympathize with you! My two younger ones have made me cry on more than one occasion. There were times when they were younger that I'd put myself in a time out in the bathroom. I swear kids can make a sane person go off the deep end. It make me feel better that I'm not the only one

 

[TVivian]

An afterschool sport or activity that burns some of that extra energy off?
Wish I was there to see the breakdancing

Me too. Sometimes I don't know whether to high-five him or ground him!

 

[TVivian]

Well, at least it was a break-dance party instead of something more nefarious. lol He sounds like he's a great kid but just needs a wise and understanding hand to steer all that energy in the right direction.


IrishLass

Last year he was sent to the principal for throwing wet paper wads on the boys bathroom ceiling.. So ya, dancing is better haha..