Ocelot, thanks for starting this post. It's always great to be reminded that we're not completely alone.
On our end, we're really feeling it right now. DS6 is draining us lately. He's usually an extremely intense kid, but it increases tenfold when he's going through transitions. The start of school, new swimming session/instructor and starting piano lessons have proven to be too much for him and for us.
We thought we'd be able to avoid the explosive periods by delaying the start of piano lessons (their first ever) to the first week of October, but it wasn't enough. DH went to check on him during his very first piano lesson this week and DS6 was curled up in a ball and crying uncontrollably because the instructor had explained to him that he couldn't "play" with just his index finger. He's been off (intense, rude, moody) ever since, and we are just completely drained.
We have a behavioural specialist working with him. So far, we're supposed to work on "filling buckets", help him choose different techniques to calm himself down and so forth. But honestly, we need help figuring out how to deal with the never ending intensity. Nothing is ever easy with him. Nothing.
I know no one will have a miracle cure for us, but any suggestions would be appreciated. Free offers of wine won't be turned down either. But mostly, I'm just venting.
PS - Platypus, I'm in the process of reading The Explosive Child and I have to admit that I'm a bit daunted by how to go about trying to put it into practice. There aren't really any concrete situations that are tough for us, it's a problem that seems to be pervasive and all-encompassing when it starts happening. It's hard to pin down one particular situation that's a problem, because it changes every time. And when he gets intense, it's like he's wild and you can't really get through to him.
