ODD

I don't mean weird. I mean Oppositional Defiance Disorder. My little one is diagnosed with that, along with ADHD. Kenna is very oppositional, and defiant. This behavior does not occur in any other setting except home, so of course I feel like I must just be a bad parent. However, I try to be consistent and she has been seeing a therapist for over a year. Nothing seems to work. You would think that after living with me for over 8 years, she would know what to expect and know that I mean what I say.

The best thing to come out of therapy is that I don't react to her the way I used to. That doesn't mean that she behaves, but it means that I don't get so angry and we don't fight so much.

Here's an example of her defiant behavior. We get up about the same time every morning to get ready for work and school. Every day this past week, Kenna has refused to get dressed. I tell her she has 20 minutes, and she calls me a liar. I tell her she has 10 minutes and she calls me stupid and tells me I'm not her boss. With 5 minutes left, she is screaming at me not to pack her clothes to take to the babysitter. When I grab her stuff and try to grab her, she starts begging for one more chance. I try to explain that there are no chances because the time is up. These kinds of days have been going on for months, but we've never done it everyday of the week. It is like she doesn't learn from one episode to the next.

I know she is not concerned about going to the sitter's and getting dressed, but she really doesn't like have to be carried outside in her pjs knowing that any neighbors will see her. I try to teach by natural consequences, but this lesson does not seem to be setting in.

I know all this stubbornness will be important for her, in fact it has already helped her overcome some major obstacles in her short life. I just wish she would save her energy to fight important battles!