Search the Community

*** disclaimer - English isn't my mother tongue I m sorry for spelling and grammar mistakes so please take that into consideration in your comments Summer vacation just started, that would be the highlight of any kids year. And it was the same for Kit till last September. But not this summer. This summer he was strapped into what could be described as a large toddler car seat , dressed as a toddler sucking on a pacifier as he watched the trees and bushes they passed by from the car window. From the outside he had the idyllic life. He had 2 loving parents, a little sister, a huge house and even a dog. He was a well behaved child with good manners who always came top of his class. Ironically this is what ended up sending him down a spiral he never even knew existed outside his safe bubble . And it didn't, not until he finished 5th grade last year and his school principle suggested to enroll him in a special school for the gifted. His parents though hesitant at first to send their child so far so young eventually convinced it will give him the best chance to get as far in life as he could. tution was no issue as both chris and Patty made good money though it did mean working long hours at their company and less with their children. Kit was excited about the new school . But things turned rather quickly . He was always a shy and sensitive child who was very much attached to his family , so separating from them was not an easy 1 to begin with . But as he soon discovered that would far not be his biggest challenge. The school had a very strict regime from when he got up went to bed what he ate. And his school mates were anything but mates. Vicious competitions were between the students to be the best to better than rest . The stress and the emotional abuse he recieved from both peers and teachers were showing their marks quickly . By Christmas vacation Chris and Patty were worried that their decision to put kit in that school may have been a mistake but as he solemnly refused to talk about anything that might be bothering him and insisting on spending his holiday studying. then 1 fatal day in May he failed 1 of his final exams . Not being able to take the stress and faulire he resorted to taking the pills he knew his roommates were hiding . After getting his stomach pumped he was transfered to a child psychiatry ward. Luckily he didn't suffer any damage from the pills the psychiatrist concluded he did suffer a major emotional crisis. Non of the therapies and interventions seemed to work . so 1 day dr Kate Dollen summed both parents to her office to suggest to them a new "therapy" - taking kit back to the last stage of his life where he truly felt happy and protected . chris and Patty looked at each other with quite a confused look as they listened to dr Dollen - I m sorry dr Dollen - Patty started unsure of how to pharse her thoughts - please call me Kate - Kate .. Isn't this a bit .. Radical ? Treat him like a toddler ...? - I know how it sounds at first but what your son needs the most right now is to feel safe and loved and no one can give him that more than you can - I think what my wife was trying to ask is this sounds a bit "abnormal" sorry for the term , to take a child his age and treat him as a toddler - well it's quite abnormal for a child his age to attempt suiicide - Kate concluded -look I have spent many hours in the past few weeks talking to kit and the conclusion I reached is that the last he felt completely happy was before his sister was born and he still had your full attention , - the room quited both Patty and Chris had quilt over not spending enough time with their kids but could that have really led up to this ? - so what you are saying is that we shouldn't have had an other child ? - Patty asked a little mortified - no of course not, but you have to understand , from that moment he became the big brother the big kid who got the role of being responsible in school and with his sister and eventually all the stress that comes with always being responsible and doing well got too much for him. - so what you are suggesting is that now he needs to be the little ..? - Chris asked as he ruffled through his hair - he needs to feel safe again - oh god - Patty cried out as she burried her face in her hands - this is all my fault - okay okay let's say we would try this "therapy" - Chris said unsure as he rubbed pattys shoulders - how exactly would this go ..? Was this kits idea ? Does he want this ..? - this is my suggestion . Not kits idea . He doesn't know actually . Chris squinted at Kate - so this wouldn't be with his consent..?