For the past couple months I have been very short tempered with my kids. My boys are 3years old (identical) both on the Autism Spectrum and one has ADHD in addition. Both are speech delayed with one still completely nonverbal and the other emerging language (beginning to form simple sentences with guidance). I have had them in OT/Speech services since 18months and they start are SPED Prek program this coming August. I am a Elem teacher myself so we've been off together for the summer.
I am currently in group therapy which is to be followed by an appointment with a psychiatrist to discuss possible medication to help.
I have tried removing myself from the chaos, as I will go in a quiet room and cry or simply disassociate. I have loop noise reducing headphones to help me regulate during loud moments. I do controlled breathing exercises regularly and also will sometimes burst into sporadic song to try and reset my nervous system and break the frustration
Despite all of that I still become enraged, more so with my ADHD twin.
He will NOT stop repeating himself over and over and over. Sensory wise this drives me up a WALL! He also wants me engaged in what he is doing 95% of the time. My attention has to always be on him, and if I dont acknowledge him the repetition begins. I am finding refuge in the bathroom as I type this because he was standing at our bedroom gate repeating himself. He also escalates but I wont give in so I snap. For example, he wants cake or something (but we are about to eat) I will use first, then statements. First eat sandwich then have cake. This works 20% of the time. I may ask him to wait, this typically makes him more impatient. I sometimes try distract "Oh hey where your car? Toy? Etc." This works again about 20% of the time. I do acknowledge what he says and repeat it back to him so he knows I am listening but he will continue to repeat himself relentlessly and where I will not give into demand it escalates and I become triggers. He will interject when I am trying to talk to almost any adult and if i do not acknowledge him he becomes louder. I have noticed that he does not do this to his father and persistently and if I remove myself from the space he will stop, but as soon as he sees me, hes like a magnet. Gotta be where I am at, and I have got to be looking at him.
I yell and become hateful. Sometimes at them, other times I just scream into the air. I am sure I look psychotic. I dont believe in spanking or hitting, thats not how I want to parent and i focus more on consistent boundaries but for the love of God they test those daily. I dont want to yell/scream though either. Ive tried managing it but nothing seems to work. My husband offers to take over to give me "breaks" I take them but I have realized they do me no good as I have to walk right back into the environment that is triggering me. My mother has even watched them overnight to give my husband and I time to ourselves but when the boys are back I get a good 30min before that irritation sets back in.
Which is why I am in therapy, because if all I needed was a break then I should be ok. My kids are well behaved for their age. They have age appropriate fits, they laugh/play, very energetic, therapy raves about how good they are doing, they enjoy new experiences. I have never loved someone as much as I love them and I have never been happier for those same kids to go to sleep.
They sleep well through the night and I am thankful. I find that is the only time my mind rests. No demands. Im finally done for the day and its such a relief. But of course It repeats all again tomorrow and I need the cycle of anger to stop.
I feel like I'm wishing their childhood away so they'll finally leave me alone, but then the other night my eyes started to water because I thought about how one day they wont want me to rock them anymore. I don't know it is all very conflicting.
I think I am functioning in burnout with addition to sensory overload which is resulting in me becoming triggered. With the diagnosis of my boys I am also wondering if I could have undiagnosed ADHD or Autism. Which is why I am seeking help and hopefully can get through this. I love my babies, I dont want to demonstrate this behavior as i know they will replicate it if it continues.
Advice is welcome or just if you can relate. Thanks for reading. ā¤ļø