It’s almost impossible to avoid behavior issues of some sort as a parent. There’s a nearly certain chance that a kid will struggle with discipline problems occasionally. But for some, this goes to an entirely different level.
One mom found herself in that category when the child she loved just wouldn’t shake his unbearable attitude. At her wit’s end, she turned to Reddit for advice.
A mom praised her 10-year-old son while also calling him ‘insufferable.’
In a since-deleted post, a desperate mom took to Reddit to ask for advice after 10 years of dealing with a son she just couldn’t handle anymore.
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“My 10-year-old is insufferable,” she confessed. “I love him dearly, though that’s how I’d describe him.”
The mother described just how much trouble she has with her son.
“When he wakes up in the morning, I have to mentally prepare for him,” she said. “He’s often upset about something.”
“I’ll say, ‘Child, can you brush your teeth before we leave?’” she said, offering an example. “I still have to remind him because he won’t do it on his own. This unleashes a stream of whining, even though we do this every day.”
The mom shared another example with Reddit readers. “There was a fall festival in our city this weekend,” she stated. “We’ve gone before and they enjoyed it. My other child wants to go. This child absolutely does not want to go. He wants to stay home and do nothing.”
“So we go,” she continued. “He literally whined the whole way through it and just kind of made it miserable for us. He wasn’t sick, tired, etc.”
She was quick to clarify that this was not an isolated incident. “The above is an example of something I’ve noticed on other occasions as well,” she said.
Unfortunately, she had to deal with his insufferable nature again very soon.
“Today, I have to bring my kids for a quick stop to the grocery store,” she explained, “My other child is like, ‘Okay.’ This child is complaining about it like it’s torture, to the point where I’m about to snap.”
Contrary to what some might think based on these descriptions, the mom said that her insufferable son is surprisingly nice.
“My insufferable child is sensitive,” she said. “He’s kind to other people (and) loves animals. Normal development and student.”
That’s an important caveat that has driven this mom to the brink. He’s nice, but only to other people.
She concluded, “I’m just so exhausted by his behavior. I have wondered about ADHD. His pediatrician thinks it’s just his personality. This child was a colicky baby and high-needs toddler.”
Commenters had plenty of advice for the mom.
Redditors shared suggestions and personal anecdotes with this worried mother.
“My sister was like this growing up. She whined and complained about everything,” one person shared. “Now … she’s in her 30s. Married. Two kids … Happy and normal.”
Others offered recommendations, like one person who said, “You can discipline for excessive whining. We do. You want to ruin our good time? Okay. But you lose XYZ … I’ll bet the child is suddenly much more sufferable.”
“Leave him home when you go places that he objects to,” someone else suggested. “He is old enough to stay alone for a couple of hours.”
You can work to improve behavior in children.
Although behavior problems may feel insurmountable, it is possible to overcome them. The Child Mind Institute recommended focusing on one issue at a time.
“Identifying specific behaviors is an important first step to effective discipline,” they said. “Taking behaviors one at a time allows you to be more focused, gain a better understanding of why the behavior is happening, and have a greater sense of control.”
So, in this case, this mom could start by addressing her son’s problem with whining. Then, from there, she could continue to address other issues one at a time.
This will allow her to better understand her son’s behavior issues and work on rooting them out. He will most likely be just fine.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer for YourTango who covers entertainment, news and human interest topics.
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