Drug free week at school ended with my son in tears
@shaggin (74987)
United States
October 29, 2015 8:28pm CST
All this week it was drug free week at school. Each day had a theme to show your drug free school spirit. Crazy sock day, team jersey day, Hat day and wear red day. My son refused to wear red today lol. He was one of the few kids in the entire school who didn't wear red. Yesterday both of my children wore hats to school.
Each student got a little red ribbon with a safety pin that they could pin to their clothes. My daughter wore hers on her shirt each day.
Today was the music assembly. The music teacher and another teacher who is in a band played music while the kids in each grade sang songs about being drug free.
About a week ago they had some kind of assembly with music. My son who is 8 for some reason always has a really hard time during these music assemblies. He always gets upset and starts crying about how loud they are. Last time he cried and would not go with the guidance counselor out of the room. He sat on the bench crying through the whole thing wanting the whole class to leave the assembly. So his teacher emailed me asking if I was able to could I come to the drug free assembly in case he got upset.
I went up today at 2:15. They had the adults go in behind the children who were on the floor towards the back. My daughter happened to be sitting at the very back so I slid in behind her. I could see my son from across the room. He did okay for one song and then I saw him put his head in his hands and bending down and start crying. I could see him looking for me earlier but he must not have been able to see me from where I was sitting even when I waved.
I stood up and went closer and his teacher from last year noticed me and told his teacher he has now. She got my son and brought him over to me. I hugged him and sat him down beside my daughter and I to continue watching the assembly. He continued to cry and asked if I could take him home. So I signed him out and brought him home with me. My daughter was not happy with me when she got home and knew her brother got to go home early and she didn't.
6 people like this
10 responses
@yukimori (10192)
• United States
30 Oct 15
That doesn't sound like a typical reaction to loud music. Has he ever been evaluated for a sensory processing disorder? My oldest shows some signs like being extremely sensitive to loud noises and constantly in motion and/or upside down at home.
1 person likes this
@shaggin (74987)
• United States
30 Oct 15
He can listen to music loud in the car or on the computer or on the ipod and it doesn't bother him. It just seems to be in these assemblies where he is surrounded by the entire school in the gym. My daughter when she was young had a lot of sensory issues. It took years for her to get over them all. I think in time this is something he will get used to. I don't think by the time he is 11 he will be sitting on those benches crying. I hope not anyway lol.
1 person likes this
@shaggin (74987)
• United States
30 Oct 15
@Hatley That is an interesting thought as well. I do not know how well his hearing is either way. I know that I had so many ear infections as a kid that it damaged my hearing. I failed every hearing test I ever took. I used to be jealous because the nurses always gave the other classmates lots of beeps and I never heard any of them. I thought they were being mean not making it beep much for me. I didn't realize until I was an adult that I just couldn't hear the machine making the beeps lol.
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70020)
• United States
30 Oct 15
Aw Shaggin, your poor little one. He may need to be seen as it sounds yes, as if something might be wrong. I feel for him. You are such a good mom Shaggin.
1 person likes this
@shaggin (74987)
• United States
30 Oct 15
The only issue I know he has for sure without him seeing a doctor for a diagnosis is stereotypy. Both my children have that. I am not sure if his reaction to this loud music in the assembly could have anything to do with that or not. We are kind of in an area where getting a diagnosis of anything is tough as they don't really have doctors like that around here. I would have to take him an hour or more away to be seen by someone.
2 people like this
@TiarasOceanView (70020)
• United States
30 Oct 15
@shaggin Yes I understand what you mean Shaggin in the place where you are with the lack of that kind of analysis. I really think there is more to it than just repeating the act of things. Again, you are a wonderful Mom, your kids are great too! Really wish you could find someone near to help with this.I found something called misophonia that is a condition where the person cant stand the sounds..dont know if that would be something.
I found something called misophonia that is a condition where the person cant stand the sounds..dont know if that would be something.1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169590)
• United States
30 Oct 15
I think Yuki got it right. It sounds like a sensory disorder of some type. He is just now old enough that the school may want to do testing.
1 person likes this
@shaggin (74987)
• United States
30 Oct 15
I know with my daughter she had OT and PT. She had a lot of sensory issues when she was little. My son has some but not nearly as bad as she did. I think it is just something he will have to work through over the years. If he isn't so stubborn and scared he could leave the assembly and go sit with the guidance counselor.
Today when I was signing him out of school he needed to go to his classroom and get his bookbag and coat. The woman who works in the office was going to walk down with him while he got his things while I waited in the office. He started crying again and wouldn't go with her unless I walked beside him.
1 person likes this
@Rollo1 (16676)
• Boston, Massachusetts
30 Oct 15
I really don't blame him, those concerts in those auditoriums can be brutal on the ears. There may be something about the frequency and decibel that bothers him. It could be neurological and not necessarily a hearing problem. But I would definitely start with a visit to an audiologist who can test his hearing and be able to tell if there is a problem. He may hear certain frequencies much louder than others. He may have trouble hearing sounds when there is a lot of background noise.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (153529)
• India
30 Oct 15
You say this happened also last year. Were you able to find out what upsets him so much. Do you think he could get over this with some kind of couselling. Just asking.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (153529)
• India
30 Oct 15
@shaggin Hope he will soon get over it. May be you too can create an ambiance for him in the house - some loud music so that he gets used to it? Just a thought.
1 person likes this
@Freelanzer (10782)
• Canada
30 Oct 15
Does he talk to you about how he feels and why he had that reaction.?I am glad you were able to take him home away from that was bothering him
1 person likes this
@jstory07 (148777)
• Roseburg, Oregon
30 Oct 15
Have you had his ears checked to see if there is a problem. I feel for him.
@NeldaHoxie (1381)
• United States
30 Oct 15
So how does he feel about loud music other places or loud noises? Does he watch music on television or loud television shows.
@shaggin (74987)
• United States
30 Oct 15
He has no trouble with loud noises at home like watching movies or in the van while we are driving listening to music. I do not know how he reacts outside of home other then how he does at these assemblies.
I don't know if maybe its the combination of loud music and being packed on the bleachers in a room with approximately 600 other students.
I know this summer I was in a library where there was probably 100 people crammed in the room literally with no space to even put a foot between people to get across the room. I had an anxiety attack. I couldn't breath and got dizzy.
2 people like this
@poehere (15123)
• French Polynesia
30 Oct 15
Is your son sensitive to noise and music. This is so sad and I am so sorry to hear this. You would think he would have a great time. I hope you can figure out why he hates to be in crowds with music and singing and what upsets him so much.
1 person likes this
