When you think about becoming a parent, most people envision sweet little babies, cuddles, visits to parks and happy memories. There's plenty of things that you can't fathom. Stepping into a room with poop all over, including the door knob, would be a good example.
I would take that that any day over the daily tears this week from my older son. Over the past year, he's become increasingly sensitive to even the word "seizure." This week his anxiety has peaked (oh my goodness, I hope it can't get any worse!) as his school prepares to make masks optional starting next week. His thought process is:
- Without a mask mandate, I'll be one of the only ones wearing a mask.
- With COVID at record-high levels in Wisconsin and the removal of the mask mandate, I'm likely going to get sick with COVID.
- If I get sick, then Teddy will get COVID.
- Teddy will have seizures if he gets COVID.
- Seizures can be life-threatening, so Teddy will die.
For the love of my sanity, how do you parent through that?
Last night I finally suggested he talk to the counselor at school today because she might have better resources to help him. Today I got the phone call from her today to brainstorm together because he was so stuck in the emotional hijacking of this thought train that she couldn't help him redirect. Well then ...
So she's going to try to reconnect with him tomorrow when he's not emotionally hijacked to see if she can create a plan with him to help him before he escalates. She'll update me, and we'll go from there. Obviously we know therapy is an option to help him work through this, and we've already done therapy last year to navigate some of the challenges of COVID. But we know that referrals and appointments will take time, so we're hoping she can assist with some short-term relief.
Now ... I hope I didn't curse myself and wake up to a poop-filled room tomorrow.
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