Second-Grader Commits Suicide in New Jersey

[OneLostGrl]

Thank you to you both. I think (hope) you both realize how much you mean to me, and how much I value your opinions. :blowkiss:

OLG, thank you for posting so eloquently. For posting so clearly what can be so difficult to understand.

I can't say I was born not wanting to live... but I can say that by age five, things began going downhill. By my first attempt, I had more on my plate than most adults I know. In looking back, I can see how I thought that was my only option, and why I wanted to be done.

It took me years to get through, and even now, suicide crosses my mind as an option for problem-solving. I see it, recognize it, and discard it as a viable option. I've learned to live with it.

This change, this "new me" still shocks me and those who love me even 5 years later! Things will happen and for a split second sometimes I can still read the fear on my husbands face, him wondering how I'll collapse, before he remembers that I'm OK now. What amazes me at the start of every new day is that I no longer wake with the desire to end my life.

Keep on keepin' on, IrishMist!!

 

[OneLostGrl]

You know it is interesting to me how people I have never met have influenced my life. Your posts through the years have inspired me as well.
We never really know how we touch other people's lives and the world would be empty without you.

OLG
You too, have shared so much information about your life and I know that I have benefited from your knowledge.

I hope you both know how valuable you are, and how missed you would be. Thankfully, for all of us, you have both decided to keep on living.
For that, I am grateful. I pray that you both have a peaceful and happy life.

Thank you for posting this. It's what I've been thinking too.

:blowkiss: to you all.

Here at WS there are so many things we offer one another and I'm thankful I have found this place- You and so many others here have given me so much as well.. so thank you too!!
:blowkiss: :blowkiss:

 

[Gina_M]

As someone who has struggled with depression, anxiety, and perfectionism, I can relate to what this boy may have been going through. I had difficulty relating to others, and that just exacerbates the feeling of loneliness and isolation. Despite having emotional issues, I was extremely perfectionistic with my school work. My parents were encouraging, but not pushy. It was I that drove myself to be perfect. Perhaps excelling in school was my way of overcompensating for feeling inadequate in other areas of life. I still struggle with these issues today, but at least I have a better understanding of them, and I try not to let it get to me.

I think it's great to read about all the parents on here who are supportive and encourage their children to do their best, but not to push for perfection. It's good to know there are so many good parents out there

To those of you who have also struggled with these issues, my heart goes out to you :blowkiss:

May this boy rest in peace.

 

[dimples37398]

I have a 7 yr old son as well, and I can't fathom how this child would even know how to go about doing this. With the little info they released it is hard to put together how all this happened. I don't think my son would know how to go about doing this(or atleast I would like to think he doesn't). Did he have to tie a knot in a rope to do it......hmmmmmm.......Wonder if he used one of the more common methods of accomplishing this or some improvised method, and if so then how did he learn about this???? I am just not sure of where he learned all of this information. Kids aren't born just knowing how to do this, so he seen it on TV????? Or something. They don't discuss things like this in school to my knowledge....so this limits the way he found out about this.

I guess in a situation like this where it hits so close to home since I have a 7 yr old little guy, normal reaction of people outside looking in....is to find somewhere to place blame.......I guess that is what I am doing........ unintentionally.

RIP Sweet Little Man,
Kel

 

[iNTERESTEDWOMAN]

Going through counselling has taught me this: when people constantly tell you how smart you are and how you can do anything, failure becomes a non-option. Realizing that it's not true and feeling like a disappointment when you find something you just can't do shakes you to the core. It seems like the most wonderful thing in the world to say - but it puts so much pressure on a kid. And I'm not blaming it on the parents...the school system puts pressure on smart kids too. If I slacked off for a second, my teachers would call my grandparents (whom I lived with) and tell them how I had to step up if I wanted to be Valedictorian. This was even in Elementary school.

WOW! Thank you for sharing this.

 

[iNTERESTEDWOMAN]

Poor child! I'm just wondering how he would even know how to hang himself!

There have been several incidents on the news lately depicting mock racial hangings in school trees and in other public areas, it's been in the spot light news a lot the last month or so. He could have seen hanging on the school property.

 

[Maybe So]

Perhaps he is just another accidental victim of the choking game?

I wonder if they are absolutely sure this was not accidental ? ....a halloween prank gone bad...or the choking game gone bad ?

I hate to think of a child alone in a room deciding to hang himself. I would be devastated.

I too have a child who is very hard on himself. He tries to be perfect and was suffering a lot of anxiety over grades and homework. He would erase and write his answers over and over trying to get everything perfect. His teacher said he was very hard on himself. We never did push hard for good grades but he always got them anyway. So now, I spent the last year telling my son that A's didn't matter to us. That trying his best was all we cared about. That he didn't always have to have the perfect answer and to just go with what he felt the answer was, write it down and don't look back and worry about changing it. He was taking 4 hours a night to do his homework and was sometimes in tears over it. This year he is doing much better. He isn't getting straight A's but he is still does well, he still gets A's and B's mostly but now and then he gets a C or a D on an assignment or a test and it doesn't bother him anymore, his overall grades are still very good and he has relaxed a lot. He still has 2 hours of homework every night which I think is too much but things are better stress wise for him. I think we push our kids too hard these days and it has the opposite effect of what we are hoping to achieve. We just get stressed out kids who eventually act out or become unhappy.

 

[SadieMae]

This breaks my heart. Where does such a baby get the idea of suicide?

 

[twinkiesmom]

I have a 7 yr old son as well, and I can't fathom how this child would even know how to go about doing this. Kel

My fourth grader who went through a bout of depression last spring was informed how to kill himself by a seventh or eighth grader on his bus. Thankfully for us, my son had the good sense to tell an adult rather than act on his depression.

My son is highly intelligent but learning disabled. He hated himself for being unable to perform. We started him on ADD medication to help him concentrate and have observed a complete turn-around in every area of his life, including social.

 

[Truthful Lies]

in the gifted and talented program
maybe he couldn't take getting a bad mark. you build those kids up so much... just giving them one bad mark can be that devestating? OMG!

I was in G&T my whole school career...I never, ever saw a kid flip out about a grade...myself included. Most of those type of kids will blame the teacher's incompetency, etc - if they're that smart (from my observations..they rationalize why the grade was given, try to fight for a higher one, etc.) Most G&T don't base their self worth on a teacher whose IQ is prob. much lower than theirs. . Sounds like he had other psychological problems.

 

[GlitchWizard]

I was in G&T my whole school career...I never, ever saw a kid flip out about a grade...myself included. Most of those type of kids will blame the teacher's incompetency, etc - if they're that smart (from my observations..they rationalize why the grade was given, try to fight for a higher one, etc.) Most G&T don't base their self worth on a teacher whose IQ is prob. much lower than theirs. . Sounds like he had other psychological problems.

Good observation about Gifted and Talented. It's a blessing and a curse to have a gifted child. The blessings are obvious and many, but to those who aren't right up in it, they have no idea the arrogance sometimes. It's always the teacher's fault for a poor grade or a lost paper. Always.

Along with their accellerated intelligence "age" comes an emotional age that is often far below that of everyone else. He may have been unable to handle being treated EMOTIONALLY on a higher level. It's easy to do when you have a gifted child, easy to forget that they are still just a child.

 

[Rino]

Prosecutor: Boy, 7, hanged himself
From staff reports
djlocalnews@the dailyjournal.com

VINELAND -- A 7-year-old boy who died at home Wednesday hanged himself, the prosecutor's office said.

The boy, who was reported to be a very good student, might have been upset about receiving a poor mark at school earlier in the day, sources said.




http://www.thedailyjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071026/NEWS01/710260308

 

[philamena]

Rino,
This is an older news item hon. There's already a thread here about it. Here's the link:
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55408

 

[Rino]

Thanks,oops...


I actully did a search. I guess that shows how good a sleuther I am......

 

[montana_16]

Thanks,oops...


I actully did a search. I guess that shows how good a sleuther I am......

Aw Rino, some of the best sleuthers in the world make mistakes sometimes.

 

[Nova]

This is unforgivable! I say we all make nasty comments about Rino until she weeps into her keyboard!

No wait! Come to think of it, not really a big deal. Never mind.

 

[OneLostGrl]

This is unforgivable! I say we all make nasty comments about Rino until she weeps into her keyboard!

No wait! Come to think of it, not really a big deal. Never mind.

:laugh: