Running away from your problems is a race you will never win…
Recently a mom contacted me about her teenage son who has developed the habit of running away when he is upset.
We had a couple of kids try that a few times and it caused huge stress for our family. It’s a heart breaking moment when your child runs through the door when you are in the middle of a parenting moment. If you want to experience mind numbing F.E.A.R., just watch your child go out the door in a fit of defiance!
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Running away:
- Exacerbates the problem because you can’t deal with it if they aren’t there!
- Disrupts the family and scares the other children.
- Puts them, you, and your family immediately at risk legally (you never know what they will do on the run).
- Is unsafe for the child to be running around unsupervised.
- Puts the public at risk because the child isn’t thinking clearly.
- Is an act of rebellion – it must be addressed.
This was what I told the M.O.M. – in a nut shell.
I never did this but found myself wishing I had. Live and learn, right?
- If your child has developed a habit of running away, be sure to call 911 IMMEDIATELY to let them know your child is on the run.
- Be sure to let your child know ahead of time that if they run, you will call the police. Be clear that you love them and will do it to protect them, you, the rest of the family and the public.
- Keep a journal EVERY DAY if you have a child that acts out. This will give you credibility if you run into any legal issues. Because I had NO PAPER TRAIL, my word was disregarded in time of crisis.
- Get a good support system that will come to your aid day or night. Fill in at least one trusted friend and your pastor so there are others who will back you up in time of crisis and come to your house if you need them.
I had a good support system in place just weeks before our last incident, so between them and the Lord’s protection, we were fine. But it could have turned out disastrous!
If you need support join our M.O.M. group. We get it.
Chris
My oldest tried to run once. It was at night. I told him to watch out for the wolves so he turned around and just ran the yard. It was dark and in what is now our yard. He went to run pass my now DH and he just knocked him down and stuffed him in my car. I’m not sure that he won’t run again. I do video him when he is having meltdowns for future reference for a legal backing.
Val Frania
Chris, it’s so heart wrenching to go through this. We’ve had a couple of runners and neither times it turned out so well. Ugh. It’s so hard to get through to kids when they are out of control. I’m glad your DH is so great with him. What a blessing. I was fortunate enough to have a good DH at the time too. 🙂