Oppositional Definance......not in my house!

I am trying not to tackle my son. I only have one nerve and he is sitting all of his weight on it.

What am I referring to? My son has hit a phase of oppositional defiance and I'm not quite sure how to handle it.

When I say, "This is the way it goes." he wants to know why? When I say he can't have something...he wants to know why not. Or he will respond, "But Jalen did it!". When I ask him to stop questioning me or stop arguing with me, I get one more "But Mom!"

Most of the kids in my house will accept 'No'. They realize that they can't always have what they want. They all fully understand that the world does not revolve around all of their wants and needs. But not Chase. We can go back and forth four or five times and it just drives me batty! I know, I know. I'm the adult and I'm SUPPOSED to have the patience of Job. But there are days when I just don't think I have it in me.

You see, all kids will test you. They want to know if the rules will change from day to day. They want to make sure Mom is on her toes with the discipline. One moment all the rules I have in place are working like a well oiled machine and then the next moment a child of mine smarts off. Or another ignores a request that is given unless I raise my voice. I know. All kids do it. But it is harder to get a child with a disability to stay within the lines sometimes.

They don't always understand why you are telling them to do something that they don't want to do. They don't always understand why your commands are for their own good. And there in lies the rub!

I love my son. He's sweet, affectionate, gives me great eye contact when he speaks to me and an awesome student in school. By some standards I am so ahead of the game when it comes to him, that I should just take it in stride. But I can't. I have high expectations for my son...for all of my kids.

I am teaching my kids how to be productive, tax paying citizens. All of them. I try not to differentiate discipline between the kids. I don't treat my kids with Autism any different than I treat my kids without.

But in the mean time, if could just mold that stubborn streak that he apparently inherited from me all would be well!