cebii

recovering from the holidays

I love spending time with extended family - they are all great people, very supportive and good natured. The hardest part, actually, is my kids. The teenagers (some not all of them) take turns being difficult. I know it isn't all their fault, lots of issues come out around the holidays. Mine do too, actually. The twins get off schedule with all the new people and travelling and that leads to being wired and unpredictable, if 20 month olds are ever predictable... :-)

Plus, my dog Rufus got a splinter in his leg that got infected and had to be taken to the vet while we were gone. It was pretty serious - surgery, debreedment, antibiotics, x-rays. He'll be okay, but it added a bit of stress.

as a result, Holly and I are pooped and don't have time to catch up yet.

One of our teens is being particularly difficult. She feels miserable and her chosen response is to try and make everyone else feel miserable, too. When asked to do anything she doesn't want, whether it be chores or participating in family activities, she blows temper out her mouth and nostrils and involves as many other people as possible. She won't listen to reason - becomes a total victim. sometimes she apologizes later, sometimes she doesn't. It happens several times a day. We think she needs to work on some big issues. Her therapist believes that the issues need to come out naturally in therapy and won't push her to deal with them. We could probably talk the therapist into pushing a bit, but she's out of town. When we mention any of this to the other resources at the fostering agency, they suggest we send her back there for a 'tune-up'. Holly and I agree this probably would do as much harm as good. There has to be a way of dealing with these things without institutionalizing her. There has to be.

posted by cebii @ 2:17 PM