panic

[SKay]

This is probably related to the anxiety thread. We can't play hide and seek with DS7 because if he can't find us after quickly walking through the house, he ABSOLUTELY PANICS. This happened last night. I admit I let it go on longer than I should have. I was the one hiding and was hoping he would find me so it would dispel his fear and teach him not to panic. By the end he was screaming for me at the top of his lungs in an angry panic. I spent the next few minutes trying to comfort and reassure him. (DD3 was trying to comfort him saying, "I'll find her." She was as calm as could be.) I feel like the worst mother for letting it go on longer than it should have.

Unfortunately DS is very much like me in this regard. I have been a worrier ever since I was little. If a parent didn't come home within five minutes of the time I expected, I would really start worrying. I was always afraid of getting some terrible disease. During college I started having some sort of anxiety attack, but eventually learned that I could stop it from getting bad. My mom has experienced these attacks too.

Thanks for listening to my rambling.

[hopeful]

Don't feel bad. My son is a terrible "Hide and Seek" player because we never played it with him when he was young coz we knew it would freak him out. Then, this past Easter while on vacation, he got into an "extreme hide and seek" game with his older cousins. He loved it, but he was TERRIBLE. He just couldn't stop laughing. He was ok! I never would have believed it. I think maturity had something to do with it.

My son is a panic-er. I can count on certain things to freak him out everytime. I try and go over with him as much as possible if it's something un avoidable. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It can be very exhausting.

[Linda]

I don't think you are rambling...but I guess if he is freaking I wouldn't be playing the game with him.I think hopeful is right...he will outgrow it.

[rosyred45]

I had a boy in our program that was the same way. He had to know the time for everything, and if his parents weren't there by the time they said, he would have an absolute fit. He would pace break out into sweats. When he got to that point, I would try to get a hold of his mom, just to reassure him she was fine. I only had to do that a couple of times. His mom would explain to him that she was doing what she had to do, and that if anything were to change, she would call.

Instead of playing hide and seek, what about a game that involves you changing something, and see if he can guess what it is. Say put your hair up or down, mismatch your shoes, rearrange furniture or move something enough to make it look different.

I don't know what else might help, but I hope that does.

Have a good day, and ramble away