First Post - Many questions

May 30, 2012

Hi all -

For the past 5-6 mths., my husband and I thought our 11 yr. old son was just

being a typical, annoying kid at dinner. He started crying uncontrollably at

the sound of us eating. You could often hear, " get over it " , " cut the bologna

and eat! " coming from our mouths. We really just thought he was pushing our

buttons. Dinner, what has been traditionally our time to reconvene, has become

our most dreaded part of the day.

I actually saw the 20/20 segment a couple of weeks ago and yelled for my husband

to come in. It is our son totally and completely. I asked him the following

day what it's like listening to us eat at dinner and he said, " louder and more

annoying than you know " . He was able to explain that the reason why it doesn't

bother him at school is because it's so loud in the lunchroom. Hm.

Over the past 2 weeks, we've created a sign that lets us know when he's upset at

the table (more often than not). I'd also been concerned that he's leaving the

table to go to the bathroom during dinner. I was thinking that he was throwing

food out or, God forbid, something worse. Just last night I discovered that his

flights from the table to the bathroom during dinner have not been for that, but

to escape the sounds. He was standing in the corner with tears in his eyes. My

heart breaks for him.

My parents noticed the same behavior at their house, too. It's all started to

make sense.

We're actually thinking of bringing a TV into the kitchen to distract him, or

having him eat earlier than us now. However, is it something that I should

bring up to his pediatrician? I have no idea where to go with this and I just

know that I feel so badly for him and what he must be going through.

I live in the metro NYC area - one would think there would be some resource to

help in this?

Any thoughts/advice would be greatly appreciated. And, as a P.S., according to

my husband I'm the same way (I am...), but not to the same extreme as our son.

Interesting.

Thank you!

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