I have the sweetest child

I have the sweetest boy. From the very beginning Austin was so easy. He didn't scream or sit uncomfortably as a baby. He was always happy and I loved it. He had the cutest curls and was so independent and fun to have around. When he got to be four years old he changed. He was WILD!! I tried everything to communicate with him. He was disobedient, disruptive, and never sat long enough to even hug me. He was always throwing tantrums and was screaming constantly. He hit, he bit, he stomped. I struggled with this because I missed my sweet boy, I knew he was in there and wanted him back desperately. I struggled for two years with this. The tantrums were sometimes on and off all day long, the longest one lasting almost two hours. I prayed for an answer of what was wrong with him and how I could handle him better. I tried charts, time outs, rewards, and even spankings, nothing worked with consistency. He wouldn't sit still for me to even teach him his letters, numbers, or colors. I ended up putting him in preschool and all I got from the teacher was how naughty he was all the time. I got sick of the dirty looks I got from everyone, EVERYWHERE I went. The comments from teachers, principals, and everyone who came in contact with him. At night, Austin would cry to me, to tell me how bad he was and how much he just wanted to die. I tried my best to just love my sweet boy and praise him every chance I got. He went through kindergarten bored and naughty out of his mind. The teacher called me a couple times of month to tell me that I needed to get him tested for ADHD. In my heart, having already gone through an ADD diagnosis with my oldest, I knew Austin had it too, but a little bit worse. Then came his first grade teacher. Oh how I loved her. Right when Austin got into her class she was on top of things with him. She started a great behavior system and helped with a little occupational therapy to ease him through his really WILD times. I finally felt it was time to get him tested. Sure enough his diagnosis was easy, ADHD. With Austin I wanted to make sure that was the right diagnosis because he also had major mood swings and I didn't want to medicate the wrong problem. So my pediatrician did the "prozac test" with Austin. When you give a child who has ADD prozac it is supposed to enhance their symptoms to officially say that they do have ADD. If they don't then the prozac will calm them down. It was immediate with Austin, he couldn't control himself whatsoever. He couldn't even sit still long enough to eat. So I called his doctor and we got him on a good medicine. It took us a few different ones to find the right one. When the medicine finally was able to help my boy he went back to the sweet, kind, happy, loving child I knew had always been there. He would even hug me, something I had longed for. He went from reading below kindergarten level to reading right along with his peers. He would even write me love notes, and sit by me, and tell me a story from beginning to end. My heart has soared with the progress I have seen in him. Yesterday, he came into my moms room. He had just taken a shower. He said, "Mom, tomorrow I am singing for all the mom volunteers at school." He then sang each song for me. He asked me,"Mom I want you to come hear me." I wasn't going to go because I hadn't volunteered at all at this school, but he was so convincing. So I went. As I watched my sweet boy go up with his class, my eyes filled up with tears, grateful he could stand there and sing the song without getting into trouble. I'm grateful for my Austin's trials, they have helped me become a better, more understanding mother to him. I really think he knows that. We still struggle but nothing like it was. I've been so blessed to have such an amazing boy who I pray for everyday, that he will see his amazing accomplishments and delight in them, like I have.