One of my children (a teen, 17) is giving me so much stress it is severely affecting me. Tonight I am so upset I can't even sleep. So I thought I'd post here, hope for some support and suggestions, because I am literally ill over this.
He's one of my older kids, has always been a "good boy", sensitive, kind, compassionate, etc. Usually very obedient at home tho I will admit he has had a few minor things at school where he was told to do/not do something and just silently refused and got in trouble. But now he is a senior in high school and he just WILL NOT to his schoolwork.
He is smart and capable and I have NO understanding of what is going on with him. He has friends, he seems happy... in fact he IS happy. No drugs or drinking, no girlfriend (doesn't want one yet), no bad stuff going on, has good clean friends. He just procrastinates a TON and thinks he is invincible and can pull everything off at the last minute.
But now that he is a senior, he can't. His schedule is FULL of classes necessary to graduate. His teachers and counselors have told me, if he fails ONE class he will absolutely not graduate with his class. Right now he is failing four classes and has D's in the others. He is in real danger of not graduating, and when we talk, he shrugs and says "I'll get the work done." He says he WANTS to graduate, and I think he does, but he doesn't seem to GET that once you are so far down you cannot pull all those grades back up. In fact he has a project this week that, if he doesn't get a good grade on it he fails the class. Period. And doesnt graduate.
I am doing everything I think is wise with discipline, like grounding (some) and taking away his electronics. I don't think there is much else I can do. I think he has to decide to do it at this point.
But please tell me HOW not to let the stress eat me alive. Or turn me to bingeing? I can't sleep, I feel like a bad parent, I have nightmares about losing him, it is horrid. Tonight I feel like I can feel my hair turning grey. I am not sure how to handle this level of stress. I just love him so much and want to help him and I can't.