Anyone have a child who is a terror? [Archive]

Hobbermittens

February 11th, 2012, 05:46 PM

My 22 month old is an absolute terror. She is constantly getting into things, making huge messes, wrecking stuff, etc. Some people might call this being "busy", but it is a total nightmare. She makes me crazy! She won't play with toys, look at books, or anything normal. She just goes from room to room like a tornado, ruining everything in her path. Right now she is in the pantry, opening packets of instant oatmeal and dumping them on the floor. I am at my wits end! What do I do?

TTC5

February 11th, 2012, 07:35 PM

Does she get out much (not meaning to sound rude either) parks/playgroups etc? xx

Cinss

February 11th, 2012, 07:54 PM

Gotta love those individual personalities. Our middle child is like that, but it is just attention seeking, and friends of ours have a son like that , we cringe everytime they come over, he puts out washing detergent into our dryer and all over the carpet, rocks down our drains, kicks our dogs, and don't get me started on what he did in my nursery!

Hobbermittens

February 11th, 2012, 10:27 PM

Oh Cinss--that's what I am afraid of happening--I don't want to have "that kid" who everyone cringes when she comes over!

TTC5, no, she doesn't go to play group or anything... I could look for one. It is winter and super cold here (today the high was 9 degrees F) so she can't go out much. I wonder if I should get her an indoor trampoline or something. I think it is more that she is just "exploring", but she is so destructive!

MatildaMai

February 11th, 2012, 10:55 PM

One of my twins was exactly like that - had the attention span of a gnat. It started around 18mths of age. He was brilliant at breaking and destroying everything. But couldn't play or sit still for even 5 minutes. He would bite his twin viciously. And building sand castles out of custard powder or whatever on the kitchen floor was his specialty - argh!! Is amazing I didn't kill him. Initially I thought it was just typical toddler behaviour and we'd just moved house etc.... But his meltdowns and naughtiness seemed to be getting worse and more frequent. And no amount of playground activity etc helped. He also started refusing food (having been a very good eater previously). I suffered through about 12mths or so of this.

When he was 2.5yrs, the food refusal issue drove me to consult a dietitian for tips. She spent about 45 minutes in the room with us, asked some questions but mostly just listened to me talking about how my son behaved. She said 'You need a referral to an occupational therapist. He has sensory processing disorder. His eating issues are related to his inability to process things with his senses correctly.' So I went to the paediatrician. He observed my son for about 30 mins, asked some more questions about development and my sons likes/dislikes and said 'Yep - definitely SPD maybe even autistic spectrum disorder - he needs therapy.'

I was shocked and VERY skeptical. But immediately we started OT it made such a HUGE difference. He was calmer, he started to be able to focus on tasks and play like a normal kid, instead of whirling around like a tornado destroying everything in his path. He developed strategies for regulating his behaviour and dealing with his frustration. His language (which had been quite limited) blossomed.

12mths on we are just about at the end of our therapy sessions. And he is a such sweet helpful little boy. Maybe he would of come good on his own. I don't know, and it was a big time commitment because in addition to the 1 hr session each week there was daily homework that I needed to do with him. At one point we did the Wilbarger brushing technique which had to be done every 2hrs while he was awake for 3 whole weeks! Insane. But the results were seriously incredible. Maybe investigate OT and get her assessed. Can't hurt.

Hobbermittens

February 12th, 2012, 10:42 AM

Matildamai, Thanks for that suggestion. That had never occurred to me! She is very social, and her language is good, but I know that doesn't rule out things... I wonder if she might have some sort of disorder?? I will talk to our doctor.

atomic sagebrush

February 12th, 2012, 11:23 AM

My DS 3 is HORRIBLE. I love him but he's like a little monster. He has been like this since birth. He cried for 3 hours in the hospital because he was POed that my milk wasn't in yet and the colostrum just wasn't good enough for him. Strangers would come up to him in the grocery store when he was 2 months old and he would GLARE at them!!! o.O

Plus, he is one of those kids that goes until he's comatose so there's never any lull and he's really hard to get to sleep.

I rem. the last half of the "ones" were quite bad with him. He is better now - not perfect but time did really help. At least he's not into everything like he used to be - he's still kind of an antisocial little stinker but I can leave him alone for 2 minutes!! He has a lot of good characteristics that balance it all out - very driven and has a really long attention span, and likes doing things "all by himself".

DS 4 is at the same stage (just turned 2) and he is driving me nuts too because he constantly opens up the fridge, flushes the toilet, etc. He has a sunnier disposition tho so it doesn't seem as hard to bear.

atomic sagebrush

February 12th, 2012, 11:25 AM

Oh and it is DEF. better in the spring when he can go outside - I think some kids just need to be outside where they can destroy as much as they want LOL. ;)

zanacal

February 12th, 2012, 11:59 AM

It's only now that I have a chilled out DS3 that I see how bonkers DS1 and DS2 were - DS1 especially! He still can't sit still for toffee - even if he's reading a book or playing his DS he's walking round in circles the whole time. He can't sit down while he's eating (I've had better luck getting him to stand up and eat!) and talks non-stop. It's just his personality though and he's so loving and intelligent and sensitive - but yes, the earlier years were very ... challenging!!

Hobbermittens

February 12th, 2012, 01:42 PM

Atomic, isn't your DS3 an Aries?? So is DD2. I think I remember that you mentioned something about his birthday last year--it was near DD2's--March 24) I thought that was to blame for her strong will, etc.

Zana, at least you didn't know any better when your DS was little, and didn't notice how busy he was until you had a mellow one! :)

What Matildamai said about her son having a sensory disorder made me think. I contacted a friend who has an autistic son, and asked about the OT she uses. WHen I told her it was to get DD2 evaluated, she said she had been wondering about that with my DD. So she noticed something.

I am calling the doctor tomorrow to get a referral.

Hobbermittens

February 12th, 2012, 02:47 PM

Hey Atomic--by the way, they sell a fridge lock at Walmart, in the baby safety section (where the plug covers, etc are). We have one and it works great!

MatildaMai

February 12th, 2012, 04:16 PM

Very interesting that your friend who does OT with her son wondered if your DD might benefit from some OT.

What you say about Aries kids is also interesting. My brother was an Aries (April Fools Day baby) and he was an utter monster. I am convinced now that he had ADHD at the very least. My mother refused to accept there was anything wrong with him other than naughtiness which she attempted to beat out of him. She would break wooden spoons she hit him so hard and he would dance away laughing 'It doesn't hurt!' He had an amazing tolerance to pain. But was so destructive and wicked. Yet he was quite an affectionate kid in spite of this. He was like a Jekyll & Hyde. Split personalities. I do know my mother tried 5mg of valium occasionally to calm him down but it had no effect whatsoever. So something was definitely not right.

He got through school, has his own business now and a wife and child. He's done really well. But to this day he has the shortest attention span of any adult I know, major anger management problems and various other issues. Despite being 36 he still does stupid things like speeding while drink driving - just lost his licence for 6mths...... And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

I was really motivated to do something about my son once I was told he had SPD and potentially ADHD/autistic spectrum issues. I did not want to relive my experience with my brother. Does make me wonder though whether there is something genetic on my mother's X chromosome that she passed to my brother and I. It affected him but not me (maybe bc I had a 'good' X chromosome from my father) but perhaps I have passed it onto my son.....

Hobbermittens

February 12th, 2012, 04:35 PM

Interesting about your brother, MatildaMai! I have two Aries children, and the older one (dd1, also an April Fools Day baby) was never as bad as DD2. She has always been strong-willed, impatient and defiant (and argues like nobody's business), but she was never destructive or really what I would call "naughty". She will be bratty sometimes, and she has a ton of energy; but as a toddler, she played with her toys, loved listening to books, loved art projects, etc.

But the common thing I see with Aries children (I babysit 2 besides having 2 of my own, plus I know several others) seems to be their strong will and impatience. It sounds like your brother has some of that too.

zanacal

February 12th, 2012, 04:47 PM

I have a 7 year old nephew who has aspergers syndrome and so many of the things about how he was when he was younger make far more sense now we know that. I think it's a great idea to get her checked out as early as you think it may be necessary, even if it turns out not to be any of those things!

Hobbermittens

February 12th, 2012, 04:57 PM

Thanks, Zana. I also think if she has issues, early intervention is the best thing. My friend with the autistic son got him into therapy at a really young age, and he has made HUGE strides.

Orchid

February 13th, 2012, 02:58 PM

Definitely have her evaluted. Our son was just diagnosed with SPD. It is amazing how small things you do can calm them down.

purplepoet20

February 13th, 2012, 03:18 PM

No mine are perfect angels all the time except when they....

Rip the curtain rod out of the wall 3x's in 1wk. Moved all their cars to the kitchen table and watched them fly off into the sleeping dog. House plants are just a place the drive your mini toy backhoes. At 15-30mths they each got into the daily habit of emptying the lower half of the pantry and bringing everything to me. At least 30x's a day they try to microwave metal cars. Anything with shelves or handles is just a ladder to climb up. The couch is a driving board and the pillows or the landing pad. Pet food is for throwing at the pet so they can spend their afternoon eating off the floor. The dogs water bowl is for washing your face. They bring me all their nose/eye gobbers and say "see". Mud and puddles are child magnets and mama ends up the muddiest. Half of your meal is your nose, ears, back, toes, and whatever odd place you can think of... I don't want to continue it's make me tired!

purplepoet20

February 13th, 2012, 03:21 PM

Hobbermittens

February 13th, 2012, 04:04 PM

tinksmagic

February 13th, 2012, 04:07 PM

After a few years of dealing with what I thought were rage disorders, we finally had DD#3 checked for OCD. My DS was diagnosed ADHD though no one ever saw it until he was 11 and it became clear he is OCD. He just turned 20 and fully accepts it and has used it to his advantage. He sees a lot of himself in DD#3 but she is incapable of understanding why she is the way she is (she's 6) and we've been through a few counselors already (end result, they want to med her, I won't). Now that #5 (and maybe #6) is on the way, we're really trying to get her to accept her condition and work through it.

I cannot tell you how many things she's destroyed, what her triggers to set her off from day to day will be, or what works today will work tomorrow. It's painful to watch her struggle with it, but she won't let us help.

MatildaMai

February 13th, 2012, 04:14 PM

I am concerned that my neice has something that I am not sure of. One thing that really has me concerned about her being around my kids is her extreme violent tantrums. They last from 30min to 6hrs. What would cause that?

This is the main thing I noticed with my son. And it was caused by overstimulation of his senses. Certain situations would set him off, I didn't see the pattern until the OT explained it to me. But it was basically noisy places with bright lights and lots of movement - indoor swimming pool, supermarkets, shopping mall, fun fair, birthday parties - basically all the places you really DON'T want your kid to whig out! Or would expect them to have fun. The lights, noise, people, movement it was all too much sensory input and he would just meltdown. I found through trial and error that only thing that worked was holding him tight on my lap against my chest and humming or making a repetitive sound (which helped block all the stimuli). The usual advice (ignoring a tantrum or time out) is the WORST possible thing you can do to a kid with SPD. They can tantrum for hours if you do that and don't remove them from the situation that is causing the distress.

Hobbermittens

February 13th, 2012, 04:23 PM

This is the main thing I noticed with my son. And it was caused by overstimulation of his senses. Certain situations would set him off, I didn't see the pattern until the OT explained it to me. But it was basically noisy places with bright lights and lots of movement - indoor swimming pool, supermarkets, shopping mall, fun fair, birthday parties - basically all the places you really DON'T want your kid to whig out! Or would expect them to have fun. The lights, noise, people, movement it was all too much sensory input and he would just meltdown. I found through trial and error that only thing that worked was holding him tight on my lap against my chest and humming or making a repetitive sound (which helped block all the stimuli). The usual advice (ignoring a tantrum or time out) is the WORST possible thing you can do to a kid with SPD. They can tantrum for hours if you do that and don't remove them from the situation that is causing the distress.

I haven't noticed this type of behavior with my DD. She is fine in stores, with groups of people, the pool, etc. But I have been researching SPD and there is a checklist for toddlers. She does have some (maybe about 20%) of the things they list. She melts down if things get changed up, like if someone sits in her chair, or in "her" spot on the couch (that reminds me of Sheldon from Big Bang Theory). She covers her ears at certain sounds, like crinkling of chip bags. She is addicted to her pacifier, so severely that she carries 3 or 4 around at a time. She wants to watch the same movies over and over and over (right now she's stuck on Nemo). She hates having her diaper changed and hates getting dressed.

I made an appointment with the Doctor for Friday, and hopefully they will give me a referral to the OT.

purplepoet20

February 13th, 2012, 04:33 PM

My neice freaks out all the tim in public.... she hid in a tree for 4hrs during her 3rd birthday, she will play one minute and then start running (look of fear) for no reason toward a busy highway, she can only handle being around 2 kids at a time and only for about an hour, and when she is having a fit she looks like she is fighting the devil. Her parents do ignore her about 99% of the time and force her to do dance and music classes about 4 days a week.

What does SPD mean?

Orchid

February 13th, 2012, 05:31 PM

SPD - Sensory Processing Disorder.

My son is OK in grocery stores or mall etc. But if we have a party at home he gets very hyper. Something to do with his space, may be. He hates any form of change in his routine. He does better with smaller play dates. He does better with more individual attention. He has this oral fixation , he is 3.5 and still puts non food items in his mouth land is constantly hungry, food calms him. Our OT suggested chewing objects or chewing gum. Funny, something silly like a chewing gum can make a world of difference to parents. Swinging calms him. So we go to a park and swing before we go to dinner. He would just scream loudly "for fun" in a restaurant before we figured that out. He necessarily need not run around to calm him, he needs some form of specific input to calm him. DS's is supposed to be a mild case of SPD.

Ofcourse some children might just be spirited or going through terrible twos. In our case his pre-school teacher asked us to have him evaluated for SPD, we started reading about it and it made sense. We had never heard of this before.

MatildaMai

February 13th, 2012, 05:43 PM

I haven't noticed this type of behavior with my DD. She is fine in stores, with groups of people, the pool, etc. But I have been researching SPD and there is a checklist for toddlers. She does have some (maybe about 20%) of the things they list. She melts down if things get changed up, like if someone sits in her chair, or in "her" spot on the couch (that reminds me of Sheldon from Big Bang Theory). She covers her ears at certain sounds, like crinkling of chip bags. She is addicted to her pacifier, so severely that she carries 3 or 4 around at a time. She wants to watch the same movies over and over and over (right now she's stuck on Nemo). She hates having her diaper changed and hates getting dressed.

I made an appointment with the Doctor for Friday, and hopefully they will give me a referral to the OT.

OK - she sounds like my other twin. He has a different raft of issues, more anxiety based due to vestibular system issues (ie poor balance / gross motor skills) and a number of OCD type behaviours (thumb sucking, obsessed with tidyness, lines his cars up in rows according to colour, freaks if his brother rearranges the order). The pacifier addiction sounds like a comfort/anxiety behaviour and she may have some auditory sensitivity as well. And the dressing thing is a flag too. Constantly scratching at tags in clothing is often an issue as well. How is her balance? Is she clumsy? My younger twin used his thumb rather than the pacifier but in addition always carries something preferably a car, but a stick or whatever in his hand. He cannot leave the house without something otherwise his anxiety is too overwhelming. And he was exactly the same with watching the same DVD over and over again.

LolaInLove

February 13th, 2012, 06:07 PM

Hobber, a good friend of mine has an ocd toddler (and my ex-husband was ocd), and those do sound like the symptoms. Like everyone has said, learning how to "handle" her and prep her for certain situations is totally key.

Hobbermittens

February 13th, 2012, 11:39 PM

Thanks for all the input, everyone. I am interested to see what happens with the doctors.

I haven't noticed her caring about tags, but when I was a kid, I HAD to have them cut out of EVERYTHING. I know I hated wearing certain fabrics and my mom says I was really "high strung" and couldn't handle trips to the grocery store, etc because I would get over stimulated and freak out. I wonder if I had a form of this as a kid? I am totally fine now; The only fabric I don't like now is wool (it itches me) and I don't care about tags in my clothes. I actually really enjoy large groups of people, going to the store/mall/parties etc., so I obviously grew out of it. I never had any kind of therapy.

But, I am OCD. Not really bad; the doctor says I just have "tendencies" (I obsess over things and fixate on them).

purplepoet20

February 14th, 2012, 09:31 AM

My younger brother and I both have OCD... tags and turtle necks were a big NO's. I can't wear long sleeve shirts even in winter but I only like wool sweaters. I wear tight pants but loose shirts mostly. But my big thing is numbers and list.

My neice is going to be 5 in May. Her parents have never taken her to a Dr and they will never get her tested for anything. She is a nose picker (and eats them), but I notice she only puts none food items in her mouth when her parents are close by, normally rocks and plants. They talk to her more when they are yelling at her about something. She doesn't get much attention so her social skills are not devoloped right for her age. Even at her birthday parties she is lucky to get 15mins from her parents and the parties are about 4-5hrs. I wonder if most of her problems are because of her parents or maybe them ignoring her is making her issues stand out more. Only my MIL, DH, and I talk about this because if we bring it up my neice's parents will never let us near her. I hope when she goes to a normal school this Fall the teacher will say something.

LolaInLove

February 14th, 2012, 11:53 AM

Hobber, maybe you (and your daughter) are just both Type A personalities! But good thing you are taking her to the doc.

PP, that is sad about your niece's lack of attention from her parents. I am willing to bet that has a huge influence with her bad behavior.

sixhappysons

February 14th, 2012, 12:23 PM

My DS5. He changed EVERYTHING! :omg:

Hobbermittens

April 2nd, 2012, 11:48 PM

Just thought I would update this, in case anyone is interested. I had my DD evaluated for sensory disorders. We saw a specialist (the only doctor in our area who is able to diagnose spectrum disorders, etc.) and she said that my daughter is just a "spirited child". She does have a few sensory tendencies, but nothing to put her on the spectrum. We are going to an OT to get some ideas of activites to keep her busy and happy so she won't keep destroying my house. :)

zanacal

April 3rd, 2012, 09:06 AM

Hobbers - have you read Raising Your Spirited Child? I can't remember who it's by but sure it'll be on Amazon.

Hobbermittens

April 3rd, 2012, 09:54 AM

Hobbers - have you read Raising Your Spirited Child? I can't remember who it's by but sure it'll be on Amazon.

I just got it--thanks! I hope it helps!

Orchid

April 3rd, 2012, 11:20 AM

It is a great book. Hope it helps.

auroara78

April 4th, 2012, 11:44 AM

I'd still blame the sign, lol. Aries can be wild :)

I blame my baby boy 2 being born as a Taurus for all his wild man antics! lol.

I'm glad you got her taken to the doctor. It's always good to get a child checked out so you can rule out issues. "Spirited" is good, maybe not now, but she'll take charge, I'm sure, once she's older :)

Hobbermittens

April 4th, 2012, 01:47 PM

I'd still blame the sign, lol. Aries can be wild :)

Yeah, I think that definitely has something to do with her personality! :) It was funny, at the appointment, my mellow virgo son sat there playing with toys in the office, and the doctor commented on how different my kids were. I definitely thought at that moment that there was a big difference in their signs, and personalities!

atomic sagebrush

April 5th, 2012, 12:50 PM

Oh crazy, my terror is Aries too! (did I already post that?)

Ribbons

April 5th, 2012, 12:53 PM

I am an Aries, and there is a good possibility this next one will be too, yikes! Aries girls are such a handful :bigsmile:

Hobbermittens

April 5th, 2012, 12:55 PM

Aries girls are such a handful :bigsmile:

Tell me about it! I have TWO!

atomic sagebrush

April 5th, 2012, 12:58 PM

I am concerned that my neice has something that I am not sure of. One thing that really has me concerned about her being around my kids is her extreme violent tantrums. They last from 30min to 6hrs. What would cause that?

BOTH my sisters did this and they are the most normal and well-adjusted adults you ever saw. They are both schoolteachers and very soft spoken and quiet. My one sister would bite me so hard it drew blood and this went on for months. Sometimes I cannot even believe they are the same people.

Once I was babysitting my other sister and it was the night before Easter - she screamed for I don't even KNOW how long but I think 6 hours is a good guess - because she was scared the Easter Bunny was going to get her. Eventually I got so fed up I told her there was no Easter Bunny (I got in BIG trouble for that!!) BTW she is Aries too.

nini

April 10th, 2012, 06:19 AM

...I love readin these stories, so glad elsewhere isnt better ;)

Now you know why I was praying for a Libra baby... we need some stabilising balance around us...

Myloves

April 10th, 2012, 06:34 AM

Judging by this thread, it seems Aries kids are a handful! I have a Capricorn boy whose is bossy, loud and very clever ;) and an Aquarius who is mellow, shy and sweet. My baby is a scorpio ... wonder if she'll grow up into a terror? :( She's pretty easy for now, but she's only 16 months old...

Myloves

April 10th, 2012, 06:36 AM

...I love readin these stories, so glad elsewhere isnt better ;)

Now you know why I was praying for a Libra baby... we need some stabilising balance around us...

Me too! I so badly wanted a Libra baby (preferably a late Sep/early Oct baby), especially with my last one. Oh well, Nov is close enough...

LolaInLove

April 10th, 2012, 11:57 AM

OMG, I died about you outing the Easter Bunny myth, Atomic, I would have done the same thing!!!!!!

Hobber, glad you took her to the doctor- and SO glad she is just spirited! I think spirited kids grow up to be spirited and AWESOME adults, so maybe she will do something super impressive with her life someday.

Funny, but I was in the peds office yesterday for DD2's 7 year old checkup, and this lady next to me had a 3yo boy who was the most precious outgoing thing you ever saw. The minute I sat down, he turned to me with a very dramatic whole-body turn and said HI! and waved his hand. He was a doll. She said she was having him tested for the same thing because he is just non-stop talking and busy and when he gets upset, he is a handful.....I just kept thinking about how much I wanted to see who he was in 20 years because I bet he will be like Jim Carrey or something.

auroara78

April 17th, 2012, 10:05 AM

These stories are awesome! My husband and I both Aries, so we can lock horns frequently! I wasn't a terror but I was/am very passionate about things I believe in and will learn everything I can about them...I attack things that I want with ferocity, lol.

My oldest son is a libra and he is sweet, mellow boy, so loving and so helpful. I think his being a Libra couldn't have been better!

DS2 is of course the bull-headed stubborn Taurus. He'll be 1 at the end of April, and he's gotten in the habit now if you take something he shouldnt have he'll shake his head "no" or he'll puff his lips out and up and say "ooooohhhh" like he's all mad! He's a trip! Yesterday he got into DS1's crayons and my husband and I both heard what sounded like "I got it, i got it." he was chanting it like a mad scientist! I'm telling you...T-E-R-R-O-R!

So what about virgos? They supposed to be clean freaks and.....are they terrors too? Any experience with it? Myloves says they are good but any other experience?

And Atomic, love the story too about Easter Bunny! My oldest sister is a capricorn and she's always been very bossy. My brother is a scorpio and from my experience with them, they are very loyal, but if you betray them, they don't forgive.

Hobbermittens

April 17th, 2012, 03:09 PM

Auroara, my DS is a virgo. He is not a clean freak--actually he is quite a slob--but he was a REALLY easy baby and toddler (no terrible twos) and is a sweet, kind-hearted, generous, funny little boy. He can entertain himself for hours on end. His only issues at the moment are his temper (this is new--he used to just let things roll off his back... I wonder how much of his new temper is from being the middle child) and he seems to have a touch of the ADHD (that isn't sign related, obviously!). I love virgos! He is actually a triple virgo, which means his rising sign, his moon and sun sign are all virgo!

Hobbermittens

April 17th, 2012, 03:16 PM

Myloves, my sister is a Scorpio, and she was the easiest of all the kids in my family (I am a Sagittarius, and my brother is a Libra). I have a few friends with Scorpio children and they seem pretty easy on the whole (one is VERY dramatic, but otherwise, she is pretty easy. I baby sit her on occasion, and she never gives me trouble.)

purplepoet20

April 17th, 2012, 04:58 PM

I am a cusp Libra/Virgo. DH is a Taurus. DS1 is a Pisces. DS2 is an Aquarius. #3 will be a Libra.

purplepoet20

April 17th, 2012, 05:01 PM

Myloves

April 17th, 2012, 10:34 PM

Thanks Hobbermittens :)

I think it's pretty cool that you're a Sagittarius - I don't know many people that have that sign so to me it's always rare and a bit of a mystery.
I'm a Gemini myself.

Hobbermittens

April 17th, 2012, 11:34 PM

Thanks Hobbermittens :)

I think it's pretty cool that you're a Sagittarius - I don't know many people that have that sign so to me it's always rare and a bit of a mystery.
I'm a Gemini myself.
I like geminis. Some of my funniest friends have been geminis!

auroara78

April 18th, 2012, 11:11 AM

my mom is a gemini and she's very chatty and social

my dad is an aquarius and he's very quiet, contempatative, and smart

atomic sagebrush

April 22nd, 2012, 12:39 PM

I wanted to ask something.... is there a condition (anything minor to major) that would cause a childs head to be be very small for their age? My neice will be 5 in a few weeks and her head size is only 16 1/2 inches around the biggest part. She still wears 6-9mth old knitted hats.

There are but they come along with other stuff going on usually. Interestingly, a lot of autistic kids start off with tiny heads that then get really big really fast. So if her head started off small and is still small, and she has no other symptoms (like mental challenges) she is probably just a petite girl.

DS 3 had a tiny head and then it grew pretty quickly to normal, which freaked me out at the time. But whatever his faults, he's not autistic, has good eye contact, etc.

atomic sagebrush

April 22nd, 2012, 12:45 PM

My husband told me a couple of nights ago that he feels like God picks out souls specifically for the families that can handle them, and that God had sent us DS 3 because DS 3 needed to be here for some higher purpose, and God knew we could do a good (enough) job parenting him. Then he sent us DS 4 who is super mellow and cheerful, to make up for it LOL!! My husband is not at all spiritual and I thought that was very sweet - kinda surprised he put that much thought into it really!