Today he is in full force meltdown mode. I saw it coming, and there is a point of no return that he hit yesterday...where nothing anyone can do or say will prevent it. Honestly, it is good to get it over with, because all the pent up frustration, anxiety, and angst needs to be gone so he can feel relieved and start over.
His birthday was this week, which I am sure has contributed to his spiral into hysteria. He had a fun filled weekend, and his week at school was not his typical routine. I saw it on Tuesday. He came home just a little bit out of sorts. He was a little louder, a little easier to anger, and more argumentative. Homework was difficult each day. Thursday, he didn't want to ride his horse, Sunny during horse therapy and actively avoided contact with him after a certain point. He showed all the signs of a meltdown.
This morning he didn't want to go to his friend, Logan's house...which is completely out of character. Once Logan came to our house to spend the night, Caleb was extremely rigid. He wouldn't let anyone play near him, with him, for him, at him...He screamed and yelled. He would only let them play with him in a certain way. His level was minutes away from being reached.
It hit a rule point when he wouldn't let Logan be the Mario character on his Mario racetrack. I pulled him aside to let him know that the rule is: When you have a guest over, the guest gets to choose toys and characters. It was that point where he lost his mind.
He began screaming, spitting, and hissing at me, to which I took him to his room not to return to the living room. I had already explained before the great meltdown what the consequence for his behavior would be, because I knew once he blows, there is no rationalizing with him. He checks out. So, he has been in his room, screaming, throwing toys (and as each toy is thrown, I walk in a quietly remove them from the room), telling me he hates me, blaming me for his grounding, threatening to destroy my belongings, flopping around on the bed and the floor. I popped him when he spit in my face....I draw the line there.
The other two boys have been so wonderfully playing together, and I am now trying to keep Caleb in his room, even though he wants to play. Much like having a seizure, I just have to keep him safe until he is able to calm down and we can talk. We are going on an hour now with the screaming and crying.
It makes me think....I am looking at a 9 year old. Right now, I can wrap him up, squeeze him, and help him calm down. What happens when he is 13, 19, 32? Can I do this as he gets older? Can I wrestle this young adult to the ground to lie on him and compress his joints? Can I teach him how to do this for himself, even when he feels out of control? ***sigh***
The crying has subsided and I am going to venture in to try to talk to him. Wish me luck.
