Strategies to control tears?? | ADHD Information

[QUOTE=Enbmom]I think my initial post was misleading.  This is not something that happens very often - maybe a couple of times a month.[/QUOTE]
If it's not an on-going problem, then I wouldn't worry about it.
My son gets emotional too, but not to the point where we think we need to get him help for anxiety. It's only when he get VERY angry and becomes violent that we take him to doctor to get advise.
When my son gets emotional, many times I just think he's being like me. He gets his feelings hurt easily because of his personality and temperament. He invests a lot of himself into his personal friendships and when something goes wrong, he takes it personally. Of course, that kind of temperatment makes it hard for him to do sports, so we only allow him to do what he's comfortable with.
Many times when our 8 yr old boy cries, I just hug him and ask him if he wants to go home. If he wants to be removed from the situation, I allow that to happen. If he wants to "get over it" and return to the activity that upset him, then I support that too. Many parents (gym teachers too) might think I'm allowing my son to be a "sissy", but we know my son is OK.
Crying also might be a sign that puberty is starting. Similar to girls, boys go through hormonal changes that affect their emotions along with the physical changes.

Great comment Dad in Akron about the possible onset of puberty, that really makes sense!

My son does this too.  It's gotten better since he's been on meds since his frustration level is lower.  We went from daily tears a year ago to a few times a month now.

One thing I've begun trying with him is breathing- in through the nose till you feel like your lungs will burst, then slowly out through the mouth.  Sometimes he won't even try it depending on how upset he is, but other times he'll do it.  Won't admit that it helps, but I know it does. 

I agree make an appt to have meds re-evaluated and maybe an anxiety med added. My son has crying outbursts all the time as well as upset stomachs and headaches and we are going Monday to find out about putting him on something for anxiety and depressed moods.I think my initial post was misleading.  This is not something that happens very often - maybe a couple of times a month.   He is not a terribly anxious kid.  And he's still not great at expressing himself verbally when he's upset, so I agree that there is some frustration going on here.  On the plus side, he's become much more aware lately of when something "beyond his control" is happening - when he's too silly, e.g.  That's why I'm trying to come up with a way to help him reign this is when it happens, similar to the strategies you would teach a child to handle anger.

Thanks for all of your suggestions.  I fell like a much saner mom when I read this boards and see the struggles we all share.
Hi
when my son first went on stims (which didn't work for him, but thats another story) I was warned that they can make some children highly emotional, like your describing with your son.
For the fisrt month or so he was more emotional, and would cry more easily, but the did eventually stop, if your son has not been on the stims for long it may be worth perservering with them for a little while to see if he starts to become less easily moved to tears...if however he has been on them for some time, then I would probably be thinking about taking hm off them, and if they work well other than that trying a different type to see if it affects him less, or trying something that is non-stimulant based.
As for if there is anything you can teach him to stop it from happening, I don't know, my guess wouyld be probably not, the only thing I can relate it to is when your pregnant you can become highly emotional, I can cry at the RSPCA, and the Full Stop campains, very easily, and I know in my head that its just actors and I feel really silly for doing it, but I can't help it, let alone stop it.
If this is really becoming a problem fo your son then I think it would be worth talking to his phyc doctor about it.
Good luck, hope you start needing less tisues in your house very soon
My 9 year old tends to be emotional and stimulants certainly can make it worse.  Today in gym he cried because he was upset about playing defense 3 times in a row during flag football.  The coach (I realize how lucky we are after reading about some of the jerks out there) gently told him that he would be happy to listen to his complaint but that tears weren't going to work.

He just get upset and the tears start flowing before he can think about it.  Does anyone have any strategies to get himself to stop?  He's aware of it and would like to control it (so far no one's made fun from what I've heard but it'll happen someday).  Something physical that he can do when he feels the tears coming?  At home he goes to the bathroom to wash off his face but that's not always possible in school.

Thanks for your suggestions.
Make an appointment with your son's doctor and have his medication/treatment re-evaluated. This could be a result of meds. It also could be caused by something else. A change in meds might be considered, or adding an anxiety drug. I don't know, but your doctor will be ineterested in finding out what's causing this.