Tom, anytime you need me, man, I'll be here. My husband and I have gone through the same stuff with Kris-he says horrible things about himself if he is criticized at all, and part of us gets mad and feels manipulated by it and the other part wants to convince him he is wrong. He is his own worst critic, seriously, and it's really, really hard to discipline a child like that b/c you have to let them know they are wrong, but their self-esteem is so fragile that it's like walking on eggshells. He is so friggin smart, but he requires hand-holding to get anything done...it's like when he's left to figure out how to do something his brain just doesn't know where to start and so he either does nothing, or gets distracted by something else. We can't have a serious conversation without him bringing something completely off topic up, so we have so steer him back to the subject at hand. It is A LOT harder to parent a child like this, but you ARE NOT ALONE. Always remember that, and if you need me, no matter the time or how much time you need, I'll be here. I'm so new at this that I still spend most of my time trying to figure out the best way to do stuff, rather than doing stuff, lolol.
BTW, my husband has ADHD, and his ex, Kris' mom, has bi-polar disorder. I don't know if you read my thread about the pot-smoking and how we just quit b/c social services got involved, but that is a huge part of why he smoked.....self-medicating b/c we have no insurance for him to get actual medication. He's been clean for two days now and he's driving ME crazy b/c he's so antsy and jumpy. Point being, had he been diagnosed as a child, and taught how to work around his disorder, he would most likely be better able to function sans medication or marijuana, so think about the advantages Anthony will have because you are so committed to helping him reach his potential. Good Daddy!
