Where to start..

So ok, it's more than a day but here I am!! lol

Where to begin. I guess the main thing to start with is that we have finally narrowed in on what is going on with our four year old daughter and there are STRONG indications that she has ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). We go on Friday to find out what our child psychologist is suggesting but I would be shocked with any other diagnoses. When I did the written test for her, I circled "most of the time" too many times to count. She doesn't have some of the more major symptoms but exhibits many of them..too many to ignore. Can't wait in lines...just doesn't understand them AT all. Transitions are brutal..many meltdowns in a day over the slightest things. A tight jacket or seat belt will send her into a tantrum that would send anyone running for the nearest alcohol containing beverage. Nail polish remover..whatever. The trick is to figure out what will send her into a tailspin and counter it before you get there...thing is she changes her triggers whenever she feels like it. If you do lose your temper with her and yell she will yell RIGHT back and get VERY defiant and angry. Not like my son or "normal" child who would probably know that Mom meant business and maybe I should be quiet and listen now. No, this is very different and quite unsettling and confusing to deal with on a daily basis.

I am past the denial, shock and sadness and just want to get on with the dealing with it part. We have already started her on an Omega supplement and I am starting 2 naturopathic medicines tomorrow (Focus and BrightSpark) to see if they help her calm down, focus and control her impulses better. She has no impulse control. She thinks, she does. Give her ketchup with her chicken nuggets and she will spread it all over the table as soon as you turn away. Give her a bowl of popcorn and she may go spread it under her brother's bed. I tell her every bath to not put water on the floor and EVERY TIME she will spill water on the floor, even with me just standing there watching. She wants to see me lose it.

I have tried to go into this almost catatonic state of calm in dealing with her outbursts. She was trying to bait me to get angry and that only cycled into us both yelling and not resolving anything. I now remove her from the situation and place her in her room and tell her she cannot come out until she has calmed down and can be a nice girl again. This has been working and sometimes she will stay in for a few minutes until coming out. Usually she is calmed and ready to move on from the undesirable behaviour. Other times it just starts a series of room visits to the point where I almost want to bang my head on the wall.

So stay tuned to see what the psychologist comes down with on Friday. I am looking forward to see what he suggests and move on from there. If he tells me nothing is wrong I may point the car in the direction of the closest assylum and call it a day.