Mom.life
Nikki Elkins
nikkielkins29
Nikki Elkins
Vent need to let this out- going to be a long one- I had the worst day yesterday I'm still in a daze as to what will happen now, my daughter is 15 and going through a very rebellious stage since Sept. Her grade 9 year has been bad a lot of missed assignments and skipping in first semester her report card had either C- or F so I was and always have been way to easy on her, partially because of my own up brining being spanked or drug by my hair to do dishes if I didn't do them right away, I never wanted my daughter to feel abused or hated if she didn't bend to my rules or wants, But after her failed courses to be repeated next year I put my foot down and told her if she stays in class where she is supposed to be mon-fri she will get WiFi Fri after school... she hasn't had WiFi since Christmas break, and taking away electronics was like taking drugs from an addict she completely flipped out it was horrible to the point she threatened suicide because I ruined her life, I called the mental health to find appropriate counselling for this the lady I talked with said if she says suicide and you believe her bring her directly to er to be assessed by phycotherapist, let's take a step back to Oct. She had been talking about depression and saying she felt tired sad and un interested in cleaning her room attending class and even showering so I brought her to family Dr where he prescribed a mild anti depressant and refereed us to peer and youth counselling which I started to bring her weekly, fast forward to jan. With no Wi-Fi she started really acting out saying she hated me hated life hated school so I called her school counsellor saying I'm worried something is happening at school she is not sharing with me and is causing her to skip and not want to be there can you talk to her teachers keep an eye out for bullying or problems I need to know about so they did talk with her and kept an eye out said they hadn't noticed any bullying going on but called me in for a meeting to where the counsellor then told me the reason she is not happy is I ignore her and don't acknowledge her existence since having a baby in 2016, what!, I include her in everything we do wether she accepts my invitation or not I always offer, family movies outing to the park trip to library grocery shopping any time we leave the house I invite her but she declines i ask her to help with dishes or chores around the house offer her to pick songs while we clean or do yard work to which she declines and I never forced it because I didn't enjoy chores as a teen either so I'm at a loss, I talked with her youth counselling they suggested reward over punishment..ok I'll try it, offer to raise allowance to 20.00 a week as long as her room stays clean and she showers keeps up with hygiene and goes to class, goes good for 2 weeks till school calls and asks if she is ok because all the medical appointments she's away for... umm What? She forged my signature to excuse her absences so i told them unless I call or come in to say so she should be there, end of Feb she wants 100.00 to "Go out" no explanation and wants me to ask less questions and just trust her.. No thanks... threatens suicide says she has no reason to live and will walk to nearest bridge and jump... *heart attack* the plan was so specific I got scared about how long she may have been considering this! Brought her to er where we spent the day waiting on phycotherapist and we finally see him they spend 2 hrs together and he comes to me and says he has been doing this job for 15 years and some patients he admits after 15 mins some he asses longer than admits but to be blunt he thinks I have a spoiled only child who suddenly has a sibling and is jealous and rebelling for attention and needs structure rules and punishment so I tell him about youth counselling meds loss of Wi-Fi, he suggests take her off the meds she should not have been on them i the first place refers us to a counselor he thinks will be better than a youth peer one, fast forward to end of April meeting with principal as daughter has now missed 92 classes!!!! Her highest mark in second semester is 17%!!! 😓 the principal tells me I need to not allow her to skip her education is important... Ok cause I tried walking her directly to class but she would say she needs a bathroom break and never go back I've tried punishments I've tried rewards I've tried just talking with her where I'm sworn at and told to mind my own business and I tell her I am your my business your my child I need to know these things so I can help you but nothing is working... yesterday morning she gets up ready to go i say no your suspended get back to your room and clean it start laundry, she says no it's boring here I say you have no choice your grounded, she says I'm meeting friends, again no your grounded it is not a vacation it's a suspension, how are you going to fn stop me I fn mean really? So I stood in front of the door and said that's enough you need to start acting right I've said many times you cant be swearing at me and show respect to me I am your mother not your doormat to walk all over, she's taller than me so she's in my face staring me down and I say this is enough you need to stop and listen... she grabs my arm and pulls me away from the door so I kicked her shoes to the bottom of the basement stairs and she starts punching me grabs me and throws me on the stairs going up to kitchen, I said get out then if you want to leave so bad you'd do this to your 9m pregnant mother I'm done I can't do this anymore!
She went and sat on the doorstep crying and I called my mom she suggested I call my sister so I did and she lives 3 hrs away and within 20 mins her and her husband and kids got out of work/school and were on their way to get her... I opened the door and said your going to stay with your auntie so pack your clothes and start cleaning the garbage and dirty dishes out of your room so I don't have to, she said I hate you I'm going to be so happy to never see you again you can die in birth and id still be happy, k...
1 hr later I'm still crying she comes out and says my friend is coming to help me pack, I say ok
Her friends show up and her girl friend comes in they go to her room for 2 mins then come out and open the door where 3 guys come in.. excuse me but have I ever let you have guys in your room before no it is not happening now, she tells them ignore her come in so I stood up and told them you come one more step in my house I'm calling the cops, they looked to my daughter where she waves them in so they proceed I picked up my phone and they froze backed up and left her girl friend left to and my daughter ran after them in bare feet, we live in a bad neighborhood where I seen junkie needle users across the street so I called non emergency police and explained to them I need help with my teen who won't come inside and is barefoot in the dirty alley, cop calls me back an hr later says we can talk to her I'll let you know how it goes, when he finishes talking to her he comes over to our door and says well she's 15 I can't make her come home and really they are not causing trouble so there's nothing I can do, I say what she is barefoot in a needle infested alley her auntie is coming to get her because she fought me this morning I called for help to get her inside it's not a trouble matter it's a safety matter you being a cop know this area and know how dirty and dangerous it is, ( my bf thankfully left work early and was now standing behind me ) cop says well your daughter wants her water bottle from her bag and asked me to pass it to her Can I?... No she's 15 and can walk across the street to grab it herself and get some shoes on at the same time, he says I held her hostage in the house that morning and she had to fight her way out so he is not suggesting she comes back in ok I'm grabbing the bag and brining it to her, I stood in front of him put my arm on the wall and said you do not have permission to enter my house, he stops and says move, my bf says you can leave now you don t have permission to be in our house what's your badge number? Cop backs out and says if you refuse to let me give her her bag I'm calling family services and telling them you kicked your under age child out without basic necessities, I say you got to be kidding me! First I held her hostage it my fault she attacked a 9m pregnant lady and now I'm not providing basic necessities??? He says exactly, I said good day shut and locked my door
My bf held me while I cried.. the police are so useless in this town wth
My sister came and called her in told her to wash up get ready let's go and she didn't argue once not a word just compliance and I told my sister about the cop and she said what a joke that's disgusting that's why girls go missing and get murdered because they don't do anything when it can be done then when they're standing over a corpse they scratch their head and can't do anything because it's too late and wonder hmm what could of been done to prevent this?
Before my daughter left she said to me don't get me in trouble at school tell them I'm out of town not skipping more....
Does she think she's coming back...
Should I even let her back?
To be honest I'm on the fence I love her and want her with me but she will go right back to running around and refusing to go to school, with my sister she listens no problem has more respect for her obviously so it's better for her own safety to stay there and not here...but I don't want to burden my sister with problems if she gets comfortable there and starts acting rebellious again... So everything is up in the air I don't know what's going to happen I feel like the worst mom in the world such a failure at raising her and scared I'm going to mess up my 2 littles now cause I'm such a crap parent
Although this is long it's not even half of what we've been through this past year 😢
04.05.2018

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sorcha
sorcha
@nikkielkins29 sounds like you're on the right track. But do know that if she makes mistakes or ends up in a tricky situation, that is not a reflection on your parenting. We all make mistakes and do things we might later on regret. Kids are the same. That is not a reflection on how we raise them. But again since she recognized the escape to your sister I'm sure she will start to open up. And seriously we can do everything right and still our children can be taken advantage of. Dont take it personally or like a personal fail. It's hard to not judge when something comes up. But it's important to put the blame in the person who caused your daugther so much pain and hurt.
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nikkielkins29
nikkielkins29
@sorcha I fear there's something bigger at play than friend drama to, knowing everything you hear about the world and online predators has me on edge I just hope something surfaces before I lose her, I'm not sure about substance exploration she grew up in a no alcohol or drugs house I don't even allow my brothers to visit if they have started drinking or smell of weed, it's caused many fights between us but in the end they understand my decision, I think that's why me and my SO get along so well we both had drunk drug parents and grew up resenting them so I never wanted that for my daughter and we agree our kids deserve a sober safe environment, I feel like I've taken a lot of steps to be the best mom I can be but something somewhere went wrong and I just hope it comes to light so I don't make or allow same mistakes with the littles
And thank you for the advice as well it's helped to even just talk about it even though I haven't improved anything yet so counseling for myself does sound like a good idea I will try it after this baby is born soon I don't think I should pile to much on my to do list for now
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nikkielkins29
nikkielkins29
@paige_1999 I don't think I will mention her potential crush and try to go e advice on that because she hasn't disclosed that to me I snooped it out so I don't want her to know I know about her 2nd account on fb as I'm hoping she talks about her issue with a friend then if it's huge or her possible safety at risk then I will take action and try to fix it with her, but thank you for the advice I wouldn't of thought of giving her more responsibility when she wasn't keeping up with few responsibilities she has but it's worth a try she might realize how important her education is after working in fast food or grocery store
05.05.2018 Нравится Ответить
sorcha
sorcha
From what you know about, friend drama and crushes, nothing there that is red flags. But her behaviour, doesn't match what you know, which makes me suspect something much harder to identify. Based on the long term anger there is definitely something bigger. Not just failed crushes. There are a few possibilities. None are happy topics. But important conversations for us to have with our children. Topics like online "mistakes", substance exploration, and general exploitation. Kids are often targeted and once something happens they don't know how to fix it, how to deal with the situation, their feelings and how to ask for help. Which often leads to them being explosive at home and them avoiding people who are reaching out. The fact that she was so compliant when you said her aunt was coming and when she arrived tells me she needs to escape whatever the bigger issue is. She might even tell your sister what is happening. Especially if she feels that she will be heard, respected, believed, and supported. It's alot to ask of your sister but she might be able to help open the door. And if she can, I only ask that you listen, support, respect, and believe whatever comes up. Getting mad, or trying to tell her what she could or should do will not help. Give her options, support, and make sure your actions show that she is still loved.
I know you're mad and you're hurt. I know you're frustrated and feel defeated. But as you know, We are parents, this is part of our issue. When you see or speak with her explain that you both "lost your tempers", and that you are sorry for that. Explain why you are worried (I'm just so worried, because I love you, and I worry something is happening to you). Explain that she has your complete support if, and when she is ready to tell you what is happening. If need be tell her when you saw the "change". Try and keep the conversation short, if she seems to be not listening.
For you, see a consellor yourself to help you deal with her feelings and behaviours. Teens growing up now have more of an awareness of the world, but are also more susceptible to predators of all kinds (bullies being only one). I know this is scary for you for many reasons. But you have access to alot of supports and we are here for you too.
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paige_1999
paige_1999
@nikkielkins29 also if there's anything else I can help with let me know! Ill do my best.
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paige_1999
paige_1999
@nikkielkins29 your more then welcome. I'm hoping it does work for you honey. It worked for me and I was glad to have that independence that she could be missing.

As for the whole thing about having a crush on her best guy friend could also factor into the equation. What I suggest for that is just sitting down with her and tell her that if he wants to be with her he will but if he is going to use her to get to her girlfriends then he is not worth the time nor is he worthy of her. One day she will see that someone who uses you for whatever reason is unacceptable in any kind of relationship. She will find someone that sees her and will love her for her and not want to get to her to get to her friends
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nikkielkins29
nikkielkins29
@paige_1999 that is a good idea I think a job just might do her good, she's very Tom boyish so makeup has never interested her and any skirts skorts fancy stuff I've got her or just offered gets refused or put in closet to never see again, but maybe the responsibility of working will help her mature and maybe see things differently
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nikkielkins29
nikkielkins29
@sorcha yes I have had the feeling something is wrong, talking to school about possible bullying but the teachers didn't see anything, I have always had her fb snap chat and Instagram passcode plus gmail, I was heavy snooping since last summer and didn't find anything odd, even her 'secret fb' she thinks I know nothing about I checked daily, beside calling me lame and embarrassing and knowing her friends circle drama, I suspect she has a crush on her best guy friend though and he gets her to set him up with her other gfs which I feared might be affecting her self esteem so I got us gym passes so she can help me get into shape to keep up to a toddler and she kept up with it for a while I'm not sure what changed so I didn't push it and she is usually the middle person with friends in fights telling this kid to forgive this one then that one to leave this one be for now cause they need space ECT.
I am so tempted to give her advice on these things but " I don't know about them" so I ask her how she is, do you want to talk about anything and a few times she did open up and I gave her advice she found helpful so that was a small win for me. But really their drama stressed me out I don't know how she was in the middle all the time, so I'm thinking space from friends is going to be a plus for now, and I am not sure about late enrollment but will be suggesting homeschool for now, not sure how much influence my suggestion is going to do have from here but I will keep reaching out and giving information to her and my sister about counseling in that area and pushing for it, I'm not sure what caused the decline in behavior this year but I hope she figures it out or includes me so I can help her help us get back on track as I think we both feel lost right now
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paige_1999
paige_1999
@nikkielkins29 at least you have tried those things honey and that's all that matters. If she doesn't want to show any interest in anything maybe offer helping her get a job? Maybe that little more independence may help and the knowledge that she is doing what she wants to do and hopefully she will realise that 'hey I have a job, I can do something nice for my mother or for my siblings'. With that being said she may actually like to treat herself to something say getting her nails done or a new piercing if she wants any.

Maybe if she ends up with a job it will be good as you can teach her new things she can do with her money that she recieves, like helping her save up for her first ever car, helping her supply her own make up or girl necessities with her money (that's if she loves her make up).

I'm trying to think of a lot of things to help you with your daughter that could possibly work for you.
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nikkielkins29
nikkielkins29
@paige_1999 no her bio father has not been around since pregnancy due to violence and I left immediately offered him visitation once she was born and he chose not to so that was left at that, her step dad has been in our lives 8 yrs and living with us for 4yrs, I don't think you suggesting one on one days was mean at all it is a very good idea but sadly I have offered a lot of mom-teen time like clothes shopping hair cuts we both love reading so library days were a big hit but she is not as interested in reading as she once was, she got into Pokemon go a couple years ago so I did to we went on walks together all the time and it just stopped interesting her, I got us both gym passes and we did that for 5m but that eventually stopped being fun for her to when concerts came to town I offered to take her she says mom please, then ended up going to those bands anyways with her friends so I'm not sure I think she wants attention but also in the my mom isn't cool phase which I remember going through so can't blame her really
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sorcha
sorcha
For now space and counselling is what is needed. If she does well with her aunt let her stay there. There is something bigger at play here. But keep her in counselling and if need be have her enrolled in school until the end of the year with her aunt. Maybe the change of location will help.
The cop was useless and has his own issues. But keeping her away from her friends might help or hurt. But I'd make sure she gets supervise internet at aunts. Something is going on. Not sure what but it's something.
I work with kids specifically. And I specialize in behavior. That being said I only have your side and what's happening so far. Plus limited context. So many things could be the cause but since this is new (since September) behavior there is more to this. Don't take the doctors thought that it's just "spoiled 1st child syndrome" there is something else. Something she hasn't shared yet. So he goes with the info she did share. Not in common. Sometimes it takes years to find the real cause. Or the right worker who can build the right connection. It takes time. But again having her with her aunt 2 hours or more away will help. If home schooling is an option then it might be a good temporary solution until she is ready to open up.
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paige_1999
paige_1999
Hmm I used be like this also. I'm only a few years older then your 15yr.
The reason for me being rebellious was cause not only did my mum re-marry but she also had two other kids not longer after. I can understand why your daughter is doing this. She went from being the only child for 13 years till you had your 2yr. Are you still with her father or Nahh?
Does your daughter have a closer relationship with her Aunty more then you?

What I found personally helped me out of my rebellious stage was not only talking to my school counsellor but my school counsellor didn't raise his voice or talk down to me about the things I told him that I'd tell my mother.

If you end up taking her back, besides asking for an apology on what she did to you but when you do speak to her, find a mutual thing you both like doing. And as mean as this is going to sound but have a day for you and your 15yr old. That's what she wants mumma. She just wants some one on one time with her mum
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