Parenting is hard, especially with a difficult child. Many people can give advice, but no one really knows how tough it is unless they’ve been through it. One of our readers asked us for help with the problems her son is facing. Jamie’s behavior made the doctor stop their therapy sessions, and the reason was really disturbing.
The next day, Jamie’s school said he had another meltdown where he shouted at a teacher, and the school counselor suggested more serious therapy. Worried, his parent called Jamie’s old preschool teacher, Ms. Anderson, who said that Jamie used to talk about an imaginary friend named Claire. That night, the parent found a crayon drawing under Jamie’s bed with two figures—one labeled Jamie and the other “Claire,” but Claire’s face was scribbled out in red.
The parent is scared and doesn’t know if this is just a phase or something more serious. With a psychiatrist appointment soon, they feel confused and are asking for advice from others who have gone through something similar.
