May is always rough for my kid -- anyone else?

[Anonymous]

My DD (11) has ADHD and some anxiety. We have noticed a pattern that every May for the last few years, she starts having all sorts of issues in and out of school. Social issues at school (arguments with friends, making mean remarks to others). No academic issues at school thought. She gets into a slump in her sport, where her skill level seems to decrease and she gets more easily overwhelmed and emotional when she makes mistakes, etc. Everything just starts to seem much harder in May and it continues through the end of the school year. A few weeks into summer, with camps, etc, and she seems great.

Does your kid hit a wall in May too? Is this a thing? Is she just exhausted?

[Anonymous]

I don't know if it's a thing but 10 y.o. DS is the same. Can't wait until summer. Spring allergies are probably a factor. It's the hardest month for him.

[Anonymous]

It's a thing for many kids-just ask any 5th grade teacher! My older kids are NT and went through it to varying extent. I'm assuming it's things like hormones and allergies. The cure is summer!

[Anonymous]

YES

I actually just mentioned this in an iep meeting it starts in March and then gets pretty bad till mid May

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:YES

I actually just mentioned this in an iep meeting it starts in March and then gets pretty bad till mid May

This is the pattern I am noticing as well. I posted a thread titled "Anyone else's child struggling at the end of the academic year". From the replies, it seems it's rough for a lot of kids right now.

[Anonymous]

I think high stakes standardized testing pressure is a factor.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I've also noticed this, OP.

[Anonymous]

YES! Absolutely the same here

[Anonymous]

For full disclosure, we are FCPS and struggling to make it to the finish line. It's so hard to keep DC motivated when there is SO MUCH SCHOOL left.

Summer cannot come quick enough!

[Anonymous]

No. But, you need to be organized and have a strategy in place to make your kids succeed for the entire school year. Work on their organizational and executive functioning skills from the get-go.

No kid who is doing well in academics and ECs in school/college and has his life on track, gets into the problematic depression and anger spiral. Even if they are sad, it is manageable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. But, you need to be organized and have a strategy in place to make your kids succeed for the entire school year. Work on their organizational and executive functioning skills from the get-go.

No kid who is doing well in academics and ECs in school/college and has his life on track, gets into the problematic depression and anger spiral. Even if they are sad, it is manageable.

Eh, I have a long history of problematic depression and anger spirals and graduated near the top of my college class and then attended a top law school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. But, you need to be organized and have a strategy in place to make your kids succeed for the entire school year. Work on their organizational and executive functioning skills from the get-go.

No kid who is doing well in academics and ECs in school/college and has his life on track, gets into the problematic depression and anger spiral. Even if they are sad, it is manageable.

Eh, I have a long history of problematic depression and anger spirals and graduated near the top of my college class and then attended a top law school.

lol ditto to all this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. But, you need to be organized and have a strategy in place to make your kids succeed for the entire school year. Work on their organizational and executive functioning skills from the get-go.

No kid who is doing well in academics and ECs in school/college and has his life on track, gets into the problematic depression and anger spiral. Even if they are sad, it is manageable.

On your first point, that's why I'm asking -- I'm trying to identify the problem and crowdsourcing about whether this is an ADHD thing or a more general kid thing, and what it is, really. Once I have a better sense of what this May slump/situation is, I hope to tackle it.

On your second point, I have so many examples of successful people with problematic mental health situations that I'm wondering if we live on the same planet!

[Anonymous]

Yes there are other recent posts here about the topic and this comes up every year.

The period between spring break and end of the school year is always really hard for my audhd son. I’m not sure why, but I think academic demands increase and my son has severe seasonal allergies - combination of increased demands, not feeling great and possibly allergy meds interacting with his adhd meds.

For what it’s worth a lot of behaviors are coming out in the classroom for other kids too this time of year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. But, you need to be organized and have a strategy in place to make your kids succeed for the entire school year. Work on their organizational and executive functioning skills from the get-go.

No kid who is doing well in academics and ECs in school/college and has his life on track, gets into the problematic depression and anger spiral. Even if they are sad, it is manageable.

You do know that you're posting on the SN forum, right? Many of us have kids who are not doing well in academics and ECs and do have problematic depression and anger (although their lives are still very much on track). We cannot parent their disabilities away.