Oh Sweet Sibling Rivalry

"Bubba stop!!" 

"Bubba thats mine!"

"Bubba leave me alone!"

"Bubba do you want to play with me?" 5 seconds later "Leave my stuff alone!"

Are these common phrases you hear in your house? Bubba is our son, whose real name is Tyler. He is almost 2.5 years old and has an abundance of medical respiratory problems along with speech delay. He understands what we say mostly, but he cannot express himself.

Ever since Bubba was old enough to express himself emotionally, laughing, crying, screaming, squealing, etc. there has always been sibling rivalry in our house. This is when Mickinley's tantrums started to get worse.

Yesterday they were playing outside and I ran into the garage for something (our backyard is connected to our garage, our backyard is also fully, privately fenced in). I kind of peeked around the corner as soon as I heard her scream "BUBBA!" She wanted him to get into the wagon with her play dolls but he didn't want to. She kept screaming at him for at least 3 minutes to get into the wagon when she finally had enough and threw her dolls at him. In return he grabbed the doll and ran. That resulted in a mess because she was so angry that she ended up smacking him three times in the shoulder. This resulted in both of them not allowing to play outside. Bubba turned his sadness and angry around and played with his toys inside. Mickinley threw a tantrum for about 25 minutes before settling down and acting like nothing happen. We made her clean her room as a consequence and she ended up doing it but it took her a long time to get it done. 

Her therapist is going to start coping skills next time we see her, which I am excited about because I think its something that is really going to help her with her tantrums.

I am trying my best to not scream at her as it doesn't help and I know she is not comprehending while she is in her tantrum, so I think maybe her coping skills may also help me and I could learn from her as well. There are times in the day where I tell her "Wow Mickinley, you are being excellent let's continue it" and 10 minutes later she is throwing a tantrum.

Her medication helps her hyperness but I think her underlying mood/bipolar tendencies still come out and get the best of her. We are still learning, this is all new to us as well.

Struggles, Challenges, Joy, and Happiness

I am not one to normally use a blog. I had xanga and have met some great people out there on it. I no longer use xanga anymore either. I am here to pour my heart out to anyone that ones to take the time to listen to it. I am not whining and I am not saying my life is horrible, because it COULD be worse; I am just saying, I need a voice.

I became a stay at home mom when my daughter was born in 2008. That was the most joyfullest and happiest moment of my life. What better way to raise your child than being able to stay home with them 24/7?? I loved it so much I became pregnant with our second child in 2010. He was a month early, full of lung problems and was in the NICU for almost 2.5 weeks. Woah, now that I did not expect.

It all started when my daughter was around 11 months, we noticed her tantrums getting worse as well as her behavior. We questioned the doctor as well as everyone else: its just stage, it will pass. Okay I could deal with that. My daughter turned two and by this time she was talking sentences, very smart little girl. Again we questioned her attitude and behavior: well it seems like she might be experiencing some ADHD symptoms but she is just to young to treat it may still pass she is in her terrible twos. Got it, I'll try stricter discipline and more rewards for good behavior. Well that little girl turned three and I just couldn't go any further: I believer your daughter to be ADHD but no one will treat her until she turns four. Ohmygosh will someone please just help me! By age 4 I was seriously at my witts end, I was SO depressed, I didn't know what to do with her anymore. Tantrums and tantrums upon tantrums. She was so hyper, she wasn't sleeping at night, always in people's faces, embarrassing me at the store, I just could not handle it anymore. Two doctors and a therapist later we FINALLy got an answer: Your daughter is struggling with ADD/ADHD/ODD and possible pediatric bipolar. Okay, now I am thinking how did this come about, why did she have to develop this, how did she acquire this. Was there something I did? I had all these questions and her doctor assured me it was nothing I did or did not do, its just something that happens. Phew, okay. We got her started on medication, it has taken a couple different to find one that suits her for now and we also enrolled her with a therapist for behavioral therapy. 

Okay, so now I am sure you are thinking: What is wrong now? Right? Even though she is on medication and is in therapy we still have struggles and daily challenges. She still has 1-2 huge outburst a day. I have no one to talk to, this is my story, my life, somewhere I can have a voice.

So hop on in and save the blog to see the daily struggles and challenges a mother faces when she has a child diagnosed with such challenges disorders.