Anyone deal with this . . .

Dustin cycles through behaviors.

We have . . .

1. The torment the animal phase. It is just what it sounds like. He steps on the dogs feet, pulls her tail, kicks her, throws stuff at her. He is particularly fond of throwing things at her that will stick to her fur. He grabs the cat and won't let him go. He holds him around the neck so the cat cannot get away. He has been known to stick the cat down his pants so he can take him to another room to "pet" him. One time the cat got a new "do" with an entire bottle of hairspray. He doesn't save this for our furry friends, the birds get poked with long things like straws and sticks. He recently poured a coke over Caesar our African Grey. He has popped the heads off fish trying to give them "hugs". It is not a sensory issue, he torments.

2. The eat everything in site, hoard, steal, and/or gorge yourself stage. This one is currently having it's way at our home. Food gets stuffed under couch cushions, under things, in pockets. He saves cheese for later in shoes. He hides an entire box of fudgesicles under the bed for later. Chips and salsa are poured into a bowl and are left in the shower. You cannot have chips anywhere in the house during this stage if you actually want to eat them. We thought we had a fabulous hiding place in the laundry room . . . he just found it after success for 3 months. He doesn't just hoard, he eats 6 pudding cups at a time, leaving the sticky lids stuck to the walls going up the steps. He will eat 40 pizza rolls if not supervised and then will throw a huge tantrum in 30 minutes because we are "STARVING" him. We "NEVER FEED" him. He hates us and will tell everyone we are trying to kill him by not letting him have food. Good times.

3. The runaway or threaten to phase. He runs out of the house 2-3 times a day, sometimes just to the doghouse (it is huge - but it grosses me out and he knows it). Or every time we say something he doesn't like he says, "I'm outta here!" or my favorite, "I should've picked a different family!" You need to strategically place yourself between him and the escape route every moment of the day so you can grab clothing as he tries to push past you to get to the door. This one is escalating to actually running and hiding, hence the police visit last week.

4. The "I do not want to eat anything except pizza rolls" stage. Hello, how many bags of pizza rolls can one kid eat. Not so much a behavior issue except when I limit his pizza roll consumption and/or run out and then there is hell to pay!

5. I want this, no I don't this stage. Dear sweet Lord, my least favorite. (although they all are my least favorite while going through them)

D:Can I have a Pop-Tart Mom?
Me: Sure Dustin. (makes Pop-Tart) Here you go darling.
D: Why did you make me this! I hate Pop-Tarts! I don't want it!!!!!!!!!!!
Me: Okay, put it away for later.
D: Can I have a bowl of cereal

or

D: Can I play the Nintendo?
Me: Sure.
D: I hate you for making me always play this stupid game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lather, rinse, repeat

6. The getting up in the middle of the night phase. This is the scariest one for me ever since I found an entire box of spent matches in the living room one morning shortly after he moved here. This one usually goes hand with the crazy overeating stage. Door alarms could quite literally be lifesavers.


Sometimes they last 2 weeks, sometimes 4 weeks. At least they don't happen at the same time for the most part. As soon as I think I can take no more, they usually dissipate and we are left to tend to another, yet different, cycle of crazy.