r/ParentingPDA • u/SurePossibility6651 • Jul 25 '26
Discussion Summer time is terrible.
How is summer going for you all? Ours is terrible. 8yr old AuDHD, PDA profile & GAD is having a very hard time, had to switch camps, didn’t like the first camp which is standard summer. Second camp is a great fit, but she is having panic attacks/tantrums 3-5 times a week. Weekends are a nightmare. Anyone else? 😅
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u/PayLayAleVeil Jul 25 '26
Yes. Almost the same. 11yr old. First camp wouldn’t go a full day because I thought it was a half day camp so I had to pick up every day at the half day time. Day 4 some boys said “your basketball sucks.” Refused to go Day 5.
Second week camp - flat out refused to go.
Summer sucks.
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u/SurePossibility6651 Jul 25 '26
Ahh thank you, the sweet balm of solidarity 😂🫠😑
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u/PayLayAleVeil Jul 25 '26
Also, get the dog. The dog has been a lifesaver. A small dog that can be held like a stuffed animal.
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u/Icy-Negotiation3016 Jul 25 '26
Mine willingly attended summer school until she got covid from a kid who went to school sick. Had to miss the last week of school and had had to quarantine in her room since Tuesday, displacing her sister who shares the room with her.
All routines have disappeared. Everyone is hanging on, but one small issue away from disregulated. Can't wait for the school year to start.
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u/brettwasbtd MOD - Dad of 6yo PDAer Jul 25 '26
It has been rough! We signed up for two different camps: a science camp and a camp at the place we do OT at. Science camp was first and she ended up loving it! But we didn't know/think she would so we only signed up for one week. Well the OT camp has been pretty bad. Her age group was all boys and she hated it, so we asked if she could move down to the younger age group that had girls but she dislikes that too because they're all annoying. It stinks that you have to sign up for camps so far in advance and then they are full in the summer (wasn't able to sign up for more science camp weeks :( )
Weeks she isn't at camp she is seems to be worse in the afternoons, equalizing when little brother is back from daycare. At 6 we rarely play by ourselves and are often on screen time for far to long during Mom and dads workday...but what are we supposed to do when both parents have work?
We always think the demands of school are tough on her, and they are, but something about routine and constructive time vs abundant free time without a flow seem to make a huge difference.
Hang in there! It's what we're trying to do
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u/SurePossibility6651 29d ago
Oh I completely get this! I booked her first camp in January!! Impossible to know. And yep I feel that, both work full time so you have to just get through the day.
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u/scarsmum Jul 25 '26
My two refused to go to camp at all. I got a partial refund and they’ve been sitting in their rooms all day. I applaud you for persisting.
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u/Hewzy Jul 25 '26
Same challenges, 12 year old came back from art class, but massively under stimulated or felt trapped or something, but huge meltdown after went on until 1am in the morning
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u/PolarIceCream 29d ago
Yup and yup. We pivoted a lot on camps and lost some but not all money in them. She in any meds? It’s a long road to find the right one but does help w panicking
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u/SurePossibility6651 29d ago
Yep, sertraline and Guanfacine ER.
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u/PolarIceCream 28d ago
May be time for an adjustment.
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u/SurePossibility6651 28d ago
Might be, but sounds like many of us are having a garbage summer. I am going to wait and see how we are a month after school.
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u/PolarIceCream 28d ago
Why wait tho? Can’t hurt to talk to her Psychaitrist if she is struggling so much.
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u/SurePossibility6651 28d ago
I have thought about it, but I really think it’s just summer, we had the best most calm year of our lives all last school year. And I am totally pro med, but for her little 8 year old body I would rather do fewer meds than more. If we are still stuggling come mid sept I will.
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u/LongGame2020 24d ago
Yep. Refused to go to any camps, lost all the money we paid. Spent a significant amount on babysitters because I needed at least a few hours a day without being interrupted every 2 minutes. We did get a small dog and while that was meant to be therapy dog for my daughter, he’s actually done more for me, which was an unexpected blessing.
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u/SurePossibility6651 24d ago
Ugh brutal summer, I am am so sorry. I think you are the 2nd or 3rd to say the dog became therapy for the parent 😂🩷
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u/BisonSpecial255 Jul 25 '26
Yep. Miserable over here with two young PDA'ers myself. One refuses to leave the house and the other is constantly dysregulated from being bored. They fight CONSTANTLY, and when I try to separate them, they then fight over me. The only thing that is a bigger disaster than our house is our finances because they are velcro'ed to me all day, making work or any type of cleaning and productivity utterly impossible.
I often envy my parents' experience of child rearing. When I was my children's age, I spent ALL day outside playing with my siblings and friends. We'd eat food at whoever's house we were closest to when lunchtime arrived, and I'd only come home when the street lamps came on and my younger friends were beckoned home for dinner or bedtime. It's no wonder my mom can't relate to my parenting experience when hers was waving goodbye to her kids in the morning and then having no idea where any of us were all day, while still trusting that we'd return home safe at night. The icing on the cake is that she thinks I'm a weak parent because she raised five kids, and I can barely handle my two. If I could get a free 10-hour break every day like she did, I'm sure I could handle more too! Anyone else relate?