Maybe Tomorrow!

I really hoped today would be the start of a great week.  Jacob had spent the weekend with his father who had no issues with him.

He went to bed after a bath with no issues, though a short time later he had an episode of crying which was not uncommon for a Sunday night with the transition between his father’s house and mine.

We woke up at our normal 7:30 a.m.  Everything was fine until it happened.  I asked him to come in the bathroom so I could help him brush his teeth and get his “swagger” (deodorant) on.  On his way in, I noticed that he was wearing a toy holster around his knee and his duty belt.  I told him he could not wear that to school.

Immediately, the screaming and the threats started.  Next came the wall punching.  I knew that his business would be here at any minute, so I guided him to the sink with much difficulty and awkwardness, to brush his teeth.  He proceeded to cuss at me, screaming at the top of his lungs all the way to the door.

Eventually, the bus came, and Jacob spent an entire day at school without incident.

I came home from work hoping for the best but preparing myself mentally for another difficult day.  I was pleasantly surprised, for about 20 minutes.

As I was cleaning up dirty laundry out of the bathroom, I found that he had wiped his bottom on one of my new towels I just got from my mom over the weekend.

I asked Jacob why he would do that with toilet paper available to him.  His response was a middle finger.  I told him he would now spend his evening inside due to his behavior.  That brought about the storm!

Screaming, repeated door slamming, threats, and wall punching.  It’s back.  I told him to get in the car, we are going to address this behavior by either going to the ER for observation as directed by the doctor or he was going to go to his dad’s  (who lives a block away).  I called his dad who wanted me to drop Jacob off, so that’s what we did!

Now, as I enjoy the quiet with my daughter as she does her homework I think, maybe tomorrow will be better!

Bobbi Palmquist

I am a single mother of 2, one of which is a 10 year old boy on the Autism Spectrum.