So Dillon started his Summer Session of 6th grade on Monday! I am super happy, because thus far he's been excited. He now has his new teacher (whom I haven't met yet) and he also has start I.A. class! That is Industrial Arts. He is super excited about taking that class.
Here is a little info on why summer session is important. It will keep him on a regular schedule, it will keep him caught up with his academics, he'll have time to go explore nature, take trips, swim (yes they have their own outside in-ground pool on campus) and he can just be a kid so to speak!
I'm very excited, and I hope his excitement lasts the entire school year!
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
1-2-3 Magic
I am a mother with MANY charts on her walls. There are RULES, CHORES, SCHEDULES, and now 1-2-3 MAGIC!
I went to 3 classes to learn the wonderful effects this punishment process has, and I will say it DOES work if YOU the parent allow it to work.
Above you'll see my chart to fit MY home. I will give you a few simple steps to help you plan for yours. This isn't only for children with mental health issues, it is for ALL CHILDREN!
Basically the 1-2-3 is count like we usually do to warn our children. The twists would be WE DON'T TALK BACK! Keep your finger held up.. say THAT'S ONE! If they try and annoy you keep silent, if they persist the problems.. THAT'S TWO! Continue to stay silent. If they continue... THAT'S THREE... TAKE (age) MINUTES!
You need to set rules for this. If they don't go to their time out.. start taking things away. When they throw fits in their time out.. you will let them do so.. and they'll stay there until they are calm and THEN THE TIME STARTS!
You must be committed to this for it to work. If YOU mess up they will continue to disobey the rules. YOU must stay firm, and on track. If this doesn't work it is NOT your child's fault it is YOURS!
I tend to hear many parents state "this won't work for MY child"... I laugh inside because if it doesn't work, you're not sticking to it. Also they state it before even trying which boggles my mind. Anything is possible if YOU stay focused, and want to achieve a happy livable home.
If anyone reads this and needs more than what I have offered leave a comment.. I will gladly give you more info and tips on what to do!
6th Grade Is Coming
July 9th Dillon will be starting his 6th grade class. A new teacher, maybe some new faces who have been accepted for this school year too!
I think that I am more nervous about this change than he is, and that's a really good thing that he's okay with it. I won't show him my worries, because I'd like him to stay focused on what's to come. The work will be harder, the homework will be coming, and I know how much he hates those things.
I try very hard to make everything fun, and structured for him at home. I hope this school year is a little easier with those things. I don't want to fight with him, nor do I want to take things away from him as punishment.
Here's to a new beginning!
I think that I am more nervous about this change than he is, and that's a really good thing that he's okay with it. I won't show him my worries, because I'd like him to stay focused on what's to come. The work will be harder, the homework will be coming, and I know how much he hates those things.
I try very hard to make everything fun, and structured for him at home. I hope this school year is a little easier with those things. I don't want to fight with him, nor do I want to take things away from him as punishment.
Here's to a new beginning!
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
5th Grade Is Over!
I am a proud mother, because 5th grade has ended, and ended with some awesome awards!
This year started out wonderfully, the first 2 quarters Dillon made high honor roll, then we had some downs and nothing like that for the last 2. I am proud of the first times ever getting it, that's for sure. I am also proud that we got back on track and got him to pass these past 2 quarters. It was hard work on not only MY part but his as well.
This year Dillon was the only student picked to win the RACHEL'S CHALLENGE AWARD! This is quite an honor. His name will be the FIRST engraved on gold metal for the wall honoring RACHEL'S CHALLENGE. This is just so wonderful! I've never felt so proud!
Here is the link with the information on what the Rachel's Challenge is. Rachel's Challenge Info
Opening the link will open a new window! :)
Dillon - SO PROUD OF YOU, and the wonderful achievements you're making through this school. I hope next year is another wonderful academical year for you! <3 Mommy
This year started out wonderfully, the first 2 quarters Dillon made high honor roll, then we had some downs and nothing like that for the last 2. I am proud of the first times ever getting it, that's for sure. I am also proud that we got back on track and got him to pass these past 2 quarters. It was hard work on not only MY part but his as well.
This year Dillon was the only student picked to win the RACHEL'S CHALLENGE AWARD! This is quite an honor. His name will be the FIRST engraved on gold metal for the wall honoring RACHEL'S CHALLENGE. This is just so wonderful! I've never felt so proud!
Here is the link with the information on what the Rachel's Challenge is. Rachel's Challenge Info
Opening the link will open a new window! :)
Dillon - SO PROUD OF YOU, and the wonderful achievements you're making through this school. I hope next year is another wonderful academical year for you! <3 Mommy
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Updates!
Dillon and I saw the doctor about how he was acting, and the "voices" returning. He has given him 2 new pills to add to the stack. These medicatins are only to be taken as needed... so let's say Dillon is on a rampage and I can't calm him down I am suppose to give him one. The other is for when his anxiety is extreme. When that's hard to handle I have to give him one of those medications. The funny thing is, I haven't given him any since we've gotten them. Things seem to be going smoothly for us! Of course he has his moments, but with a little patience and coping skills I get him back to his normal self again. It's nice knowing that I can get him back to his "happy" place without having to use more medications to get him there.
His yearly IEP review went well, I felt comfortable, and he was approved for another year of day treatment schooling! He'll be approved every year, but the meetings must be held to go over everything.
That's about it for now! :-)
His yearly IEP review went well, I felt comfortable, and he was approved for another year of day treatment schooling! He'll be approved every year, but the meetings must be held to go over everything.
That's about it for now! :-)
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Yearly Review Meeting
Today, I will be attending Dillon's yearly progress review meeting. This meeting will give me an idea of how long they will sponsor him to stay in this school, I'll hear about any issues, and progress with Dillon as well. Last year they didn't call me into the meeting until the end, THAT makes me uneasy because I don't know what they talk about in there, and I feel it's my right to know. I guess we will see what happens this year.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Voices Return
Although I have been told that the "voices" never really go away, I couldn't believe that because the past 2 years after Dillon was on the medications I had no problems with him having "voices" in his head... until now.
Let me give you some insight on our lives the past 2 years. We've been following a strict and structured schedule to make sure everything got done. I mean we literally lived off of the hour.. eventually it was a habit and we didn't need our charts anymore to refer to.
He was very happy, and rarely had any issues with things such as rampages, hitting me, hurting himself. It was completely nice.
The nights he'd go and visit my parent's were my "free nights". Sometimes I would just stay in and cuddle up on my couch watching movies, or just sleeping. Other nights I would go out and sing karaoke with my friends. It was ME time. As well as it was HIM times. At my parents he didn't have a schedule to swirl over his brain,. he did boy stuff with Grandpa, and played video games with Grandma. Something we both needed each week, and it helps, believe me it helps! I'm sure people wonder how one night a week can make a difference, but I guess you have to live this life to understand how important it is to not be secluded together 24/7. After a night of our own time away from each other we felt refreshed, happy, and alive. Plus we weren't so bored! That's always a good thing.
School was looking up in these 2 years. He started making honor roll, he was doing his homework. It was a new boy all over. He was WONDERFUL!
Here we are almost 2 years later and something went terribly wrong. Dillon will be turning 11 years old on the 15th, and just 2 days after that on the 17th will be the 2 year anniversary of when he was placed into a hospital for 3 months of his and my life.
Here is insight on what I am going through daily with him now that his "voices" are back.
*Emotional- He will sit and just cry, and cry, and cry some more.
*Anger- He can't seem to control his anger again- which means he punches anything in his way. He use to punch me, but after experiencing it all, I know not to be in his path of destruction.
* Screaming- I truly dislike this one, because I do happen to get headaches easily. He will scream a scream that you on the outside would think that I am murdering my son. It's horrific, and I often sit down asking him to stop, wondering when the cops will be knocking on my door arresting me for hurting him, even though I don't touch him. I mean it's THAT bad.
*Hurtful Words- He tends to blurt out the most heart wrenching things to me. He'll swear at me, call me names, tell me to shut up, tell me i just don't love him, or he doesn't love me.
*VOICES- This is the one that truly breaks my heart. Just last night he was finally calming down and then started to scream and cry "Shut Up, PLEASE". I ask him who he's speaking to and he looks me dead in the eye and says "these voices won't stop Mommy, please help me make them stop" All I could manage to muster up after fighting my tears was " I don't know how". :(
If you want to have your heart broken, have this child with schizophrenia, and feel as helpless as I do. It's not a fun game for me. I get pissed off, I get emotional, I sometimes feel like I am going to lose my own mind. I sometimes feel like giving up, but those moments when I snap back to reality, and realize that this beautiful child is mine, and this unique part of him is something that God trusted me with, THAT is what keeps me going. I know how WONDERFUL this little boy really is, aside from this mental health crap, he's MY little man, and he's still in there.
The good news is that he's not having the hallucinations again. That was scary. If you do your proper research on Schizophrenics you'd see that it gets much worse then. You see when they see things they are scared and THAT is usually where someone can end up hurt badly or even dead in some cases. They don't realize it's YOU, someone they can trust and can go crazy in a second, obviously resulting in not so good things. It's kind of the same thing with the voices. I mean there are many types of voices these unique people get. Dillon's 2 years ago were something alright. He had one which he called the "bad" voice he's told his doctors that one kept telling him to hurt me, or kill me eventually. The other was the "good" one which he claimed made him laugh. It's important to know these things. There are so many people who FEAR this mental health disorder because they are uneducated. I was one of them honestly until Dillon was diagnosed and you bet your ass I've done more research on this than anything I have ever researched in my 30 years!
I will maintain this blog, and start spreading awareness again. I've had a successful blog 2 years ago on this, but deleted it due to personal issues of not wanting to face it anymore. It's time I face MY fears, and just go with the flow.
All I can say is I have traveled this heart wrenching road before 2 years ago, and it's just that time again. I will walk this road with a stride, and I will walk it with God by my side. We will over come this yet once again!
Let me give you some insight on our lives the past 2 years. We've been following a strict and structured schedule to make sure everything got done. I mean we literally lived off of the hour.. eventually it was a habit and we didn't need our charts anymore to refer to.
He was very happy, and rarely had any issues with things such as rampages, hitting me, hurting himself. It was completely nice.
The nights he'd go and visit my parent's were my "free nights". Sometimes I would just stay in and cuddle up on my couch watching movies, or just sleeping. Other nights I would go out and sing karaoke with my friends. It was ME time. As well as it was HIM times. At my parents he didn't have a schedule to swirl over his brain,. he did boy stuff with Grandpa, and played video games with Grandma. Something we both needed each week, and it helps, believe me it helps! I'm sure people wonder how one night a week can make a difference, but I guess you have to live this life to understand how important it is to not be secluded together 24/7. After a night of our own time away from each other we felt refreshed, happy, and alive. Plus we weren't so bored! That's always a good thing.
School was looking up in these 2 years. He started making honor roll, he was doing his homework. It was a new boy all over. He was WONDERFUL!
Here we are almost 2 years later and something went terribly wrong. Dillon will be turning 11 years old on the 15th, and just 2 days after that on the 17th will be the 2 year anniversary of when he was placed into a hospital for 3 months of his and my life.
Here is insight on what I am going through daily with him now that his "voices" are back.
*Emotional- He will sit and just cry, and cry, and cry some more.
*Anger- He can't seem to control his anger again- which means he punches anything in his way. He use to punch me, but after experiencing it all, I know not to be in his path of destruction.
* Screaming- I truly dislike this one, because I do happen to get headaches easily. He will scream a scream that you on the outside would think that I am murdering my son. It's horrific, and I often sit down asking him to stop, wondering when the cops will be knocking on my door arresting me for hurting him, even though I don't touch him. I mean it's THAT bad.
*Hurtful Words- He tends to blurt out the most heart wrenching things to me. He'll swear at me, call me names, tell me to shut up, tell me i just don't love him, or he doesn't love me.
*VOICES- This is the one that truly breaks my heart. Just last night he was finally calming down and then started to scream and cry "Shut Up, PLEASE". I ask him who he's speaking to and he looks me dead in the eye and says "these voices won't stop Mommy, please help me make them stop" All I could manage to muster up after fighting my tears was " I don't know how". :(
If you want to have your heart broken, have this child with schizophrenia, and feel as helpless as I do. It's not a fun game for me. I get pissed off, I get emotional, I sometimes feel like I am going to lose my own mind. I sometimes feel like giving up, but those moments when I snap back to reality, and realize that this beautiful child is mine, and this unique part of him is something that God trusted me with, THAT is what keeps me going. I know how WONDERFUL this little boy really is, aside from this mental health crap, he's MY little man, and he's still in there.
The good news is that he's not having the hallucinations again. That was scary. If you do your proper research on Schizophrenics you'd see that it gets much worse then. You see when they see things they are scared and THAT is usually where someone can end up hurt badly or even dead in some cases. They don't realize it's YOU, someone they can trust and can go crazy in a second, obviously resulting in not so good things. It's kind of the same thing with the voices. I mean there are many types of voices these unique people get. Dillon's 2 years ago were something alright. He had one which he called the "bad" voice he's told his doctors that one kept telling him to hurt me, or kill me eventually. The other was the "good" one which he claimed made him laugh. It's important to know these things. There are so many people who FEAR this mental health disorder because they are uneducated. I was one of them honestly until Dillon was diagnosed and you bet your ass I've done more research on this than anything I have ever researched in my 30 years!
I will maintain this blog, and start spreading awareness again. I've had a successful blog 2 years ago on this, but deleted it due to personal issues of not wanting to face it anymore. It's time I face MY fears, and just go with the flow.
All I can say is I have traveled this heart wrenching road before 2 years ago, and it's just that time again. I will walk this road with a stride, and I will walk it with God by my side. We will over come this yet once again!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)