A mom tells honestly what it means to be a parent of an hyperactive child: "Sometimes I don't know what to do anymore"
If you are a parent, you know very well what we are talking about; our children, when they are young, tend to have many, many tantrums, and not only is it very difficult for an adult to understand why what's upsetting their child so much, but the more time passes the more difficult it will be to try to calm them down, to understand them. We know, for a mother and father it can be a great source of stress to constantly take care of your child, especially if he is particularly hyperactive, but this story will make you think again: every whim, even the worst, can be managed.
via Scary Mommy
This post by a mother with a daughter with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder shed new light on what it means to be a parent of a particularly temperamental child and how to manage not only the little one but also the constant state of anxiety which can arise in their parents. This mom's story begins as she stood in line to pay for her groceries at the grocery store: "It finally happened. While I was waiting in line to pay, my Sophie was fidgeting in the cart, crying because I confiscated a bag of chips from her and because she called me an idiot while we were standing in line. She is ruthless. I know. I've been living with her hyperactive and very capricious behavior for a long time, and I don't know what to do anymore ...
We stood in line for several minutes, I ignored her fussing and refused to move. I have left public places hundreds of times for this reason. Almost every time, in fact, I end up leaving without what I was going to buy and with a four-year-old girl who's throwing a tantrum, but this time I had to wait because we needed the essential at home."
I tell her for the tenth time to sit down so she doesn't fall and then I hear a woman behind me say "For God's sake give her a cookie to shut her up!" I could have answered better. I could have explained that my four-year-old daughter has a neurological difference, that I raise both of my children alone, that I am doing my best, and that I have no choice but to put up with it because I need to shop. Instead, I hear myself say "she's four years old and you need to mind your own business." I keep calm and go to pay for my groceries at the cashier, but something is boiling inside me. I've been pointed out by a stranger as the person with the child who isn't behaving well. The person who seems lazy because she's ignoring the tantrums. Tears run down my face for losing my temper like this and I feel terribly sad for not being able to have a single quiet outing with my children ...
As I pack through my purchases, a woman approaches and starts talking to Sophie. She asks questions to distract her, but she supports me when Sophie starts complaining again about wanting her chips. "No, you can't get them today. You have to be good for your mom. She needs you to be good for her. I have a little girl just like you. How old are you? How old is your brother?"
You never know what someone else is going through. You don't know the problems that a child has and which may be causing him those behaviors, unless you know the battle to bring up a child like mine, so you can't judge me. But even one act of kindness is enough to make a mother feel comfortable and happy. Thanks to that woman in the supermarket today for showing kindness to me and my kids. Thanks for taking us to the exit. Thanks for your support. Mothers must stick together!"
A tale that tells better than anything else what it means to be the parent of a hyperactive child; there is no need to judge, even if sometimes it is not easy, but an act of kindness is enough to understand that putting yourself in other people's shoes is the right thing to do sometimes.
