Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

Troy has two personalities. When he gets up in the morning, he’s sweet and loving, he’s polite and kind, he’s calm and subdued. As the day progresses, he’ll get a little more energetic and a little louder, but he’s still a good kid. We can have fun playing and laughing with him, and typically he’s helpful and willing to do whatever we ask of him. I call this his Dr. Jekyll side.

But when 9:00 p.m. strikes, Troy becomes Mr. Hyde. He’s a monster. He refuses to do anything, he becomes disobedient and belligerent, he screams and hits, he throws things and makes every single process longer and more difficult. It’s really sad to have a great day with him, only to have it end badly. And we’re tired, so we don’t deal with it well. It’s hard to deescalate and makes things fun, when you’re exhausted and someone’s intentionally trying to push all of your buttons. I go to bed angry almost every night, and I hate that.

I’ve started to dread when it gets close to 9:00 p.m. I feel like I start mentally preparing myself for the upcoming battle. It an unavoidable task that I just have to get through, but it takes a toll on me too. I have battle scars from these encounters, even if they’re only on my heart.