Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums 2 year old gifted?

I will have to try the sack of potatoes! The only problem is that he loves to be held. So, not sure that he would really care. We have left a ton of places in the past and try not to go out too much anymore. He is running the show and I hate it!!!

As for the bedtime routine...we have always did a bedtime routine (since he was 3 weeks olds). I wanted to make life easy early. He literally has not been able to shut his body to off mood until he just passes out (even as an infant). Things didn't get bad until after the car accident we were in. I believe he had whiplash for sure. As he had ear infections for 2 months straight afterward. Then...the flu, croup four times, rotavirus (hospitalized for 3 days), bronchitis, ect for 10 months!!!!! He went to the doctor at least twice a month. They tested his immune system and it was extremly low (which I now believe that he was severly stressed). They gave him a vaccine to boost his immune system and since then he has been pretty healthy. And that is when the speech and behavior improved. They will be doing an MRI on his neck and brain here shortly to see if he had any damage due to the accident. His original ped. did nothing for him so we switched doctors. I hope the tests come out ok. And if not I will be having some words with his old ped. I know that as a doctor I would have done a lot more for a child waking up 20 times a night screaming than he did. It is really frustrating to know something is just wrong and the doctors not do anything. I know from experience as I was injured in the car accident and I went to 7 doctors before a neurologist figured out I had a severe concussion and post concussion syndrome (6 weeks after the wreck). I also have a ton of pinched nerves in my neck and back, along with a sprained neck, back, and shoulders. I have been in PT for a while now and nothing has really gotten better except for the horrible pain and nausea associated with the concussion. But, that went away after being on steriods for a week. Funny how doctors give pain meds out, but never really figure out what is the diagnosis. I could have died from severe brain swelling, but doctors are just in it to write out scripts and move on to the next patient (can you tell I have had a horrible time with docs???!!! LOL!!!)

I do let him decide on clothing and he will just run out of the room screaming. Once we get them on him...he screams bloody murder. You can tell it seriously just hurts him. We know that he has sensory problems...so all cotton clothes, no tags, and all clothes are one size too big. And underwear has to be tagless, comfort waist, boxer briefs, 3 size bigger (more like shorts). And then once his clothes are on, he doesn't want them off. It is a non-stop battle. I was like this from age 2 to 3 as a child. My mom just said I grew out of it and she didn't pressure me. So, as long as we are home and no visitors...he is allowed to roam free for now. I know he has very sensative skin. So, sensative that he hated wearing diapers (whiched caused red marks around his legs and belly) that he potty trained himself at 22 months (probably would ahve been around 19 months, but I wasn't ready LOL!!!). This kid is stubborn!!!! He knows what he wants and will do what ever to get it.

I do hope that he grows out of a lot of this and I am so thankful for all of the advice. It is nice to know that I am not alone in power struggles. Most of the time I have felt like a failure as a parent. As other parents would ask me...what is wrong with him and I would say...I don't know!!!

confusedmom- i think a lot of us with gifted kids have been through at least some of what you describe. My DS (now 4) never had the horrible tantrums until 3 - my belief is that he could communicate at an early age, and so never had the early problems with not being understood. But then he learned sometime around 3 that he liked getting his way, and wanted it all the time! We also went through the failed time-out phase. I have some back/neck problems occasionally (nothing like yours - i'm sorry you and your son had to go through that) - but repeatedly dragging a wriggly and screaming kid to time-out was not good for me. I had some luck with taking away something he really liked. Taking away one or more bedtime books worked for awhile. (But most of the time he didn't care! and would even say "I don't mind.") Now, we're pretty successful with warnings about taking away computer time. But he still will want to argue.

Re: clothing sensitivities. Yep, we got 'em. I can say that it seems to be getting better over time, but there are still things he is adamant about. I.e., must wear long pants and long-sleeves shirts all year, all cotton clothes always (except really soft polarfleece stuff and down coats in winter), no fake tattoos or markers or paint or stamps on his skin. Biggest issue - getting clothes wet. by even a drip. When at home, he immediately says or screams "my shirt/pants got wet!" and he takes them off. One benefit of preschool - he seems to not want to be embarrassed there, so he will tolerate some things (like he'll wait until he gets to the car to take his clothes off). But we were just at an outdoor festival, and it started misting. He now tolerates mist, so he kept playing. Then it was full-on raining, and he ended up stripping down to naked in front of hundreds of kids and parents. So, that hasn't changed yet!

We also went through the no-nap thing (but he always has slept through the night very nicely). But we only had about a 6-month period just before 3 i think where i got him to take a regular nap. Otherwise, as infant, 20-minute catnaps, and toddler to now (other than the one winning streak), no naps.

So, good luck, and remember that some of those expensive books are also available through inter-library loan. (Although i see you will be moving to China, so i suppose you need to stock up more. - although maybe it's just vacation)