The last few weeks have gotten progressively worse for Alex. Logically I get where his behavior is coming from, but it doesn't make it any easier to deal with on the daily! I feel like about a month ago Alex really started attaching to us as a family, getting comfortable here, he began asking for hugs and telling me he loves me. Shortly after that we began seeing MAJOR push backs, the incessant "You hate me, you like everyone more than me". He even developed a little sing song-y thing based on the Lego Movie "Everything is Awesome". He would sing "Everybody hates me....." over and over and over, to the point where I couldn't get anything done. He is constantly pouting, not listening, calling the other kids names or starting arguments with them. To be honest its wearing me down. I get it, I really do. There is a feeling of betrayal for kids when they start to bond with another family. There is also the understanding that they will go back to their birth family, more than likely even in the best of situations their birth family will not be able to offer them the same things. Alex is now trying to push us away, convince himself that we don't love him, thus making it easier to return to his birth family. Today Alex had a visit with his sister, his sister is in the custody of Grandma. Grandma is where Alex was living before coming here, Grandma was deemed unfit to care for him for whatever reasons. Since his sister wasn't actually a ward of the state she stayed there. Today Grandma showed up with Alex's brother, who was living with his dad (different dad then Alex). This brother is now living with Grandma. How can an 8 year old kid make sense of that? The only logical inference for him to make is that HE isn't wanted by his birth family, but that pain would just be too much. So we take the brunt of his anger and sadness. Anger and Sadness that is displaying itself in him screaming stomping and crying in his room for the last hour over a 5 minute time out for calling Matthew a dummy for the 4th time this evening...sigh. Really wish Starbucks delivered right now!!!!!
