I have two friends with 'problem' children. One was put on the track team and the other on a gymnastics team. Both did very, very well once directed to other intensive physical activities.
Of course, I am not expert. But the person that told you to get a second opinion from a doctor that does not like Ritalin is very good advise. A second opinion is always good advise.
Get several opinions on your boy, however, ADD is very real.
Ritalin is a MIND ALTERING DRUG! And giving it to children whos brains are still developing is a serious serious issue! There have been no long term studies to my knowlege of the long term affects of Ritalin on brain development etc.
I would not put my kid on Ritalin unless he was so out of control that I could not get him personally to sit still for 10 minutes and do something that he enjoys.
If your child is capable of sitting still and doing a task they enjoy, say coloring, putting together a model car, completing a puzzle, or some other task that requires focus for 10-15 minutes to complete (make sure it is a task the ENJOY doing) then they don't have ADD and they don't need drugs.
They may need more discipline in their life, almost certainly less television... but they don't need drugs!! Just because your child won't sit like a baby doll for 8 hours for teacher doesn't mean they have a mental disorder.
The only, and I do mean ONLY way I would ever even contemplate drugs for my child regarding attention issues would be if I personally realized he was completely unable to stay on task, even if it was a task I really really really knew he loved consistently for less than 15 minutes.
I have to take care of kids who were on ritalin for years, and had none when they were with me for nearly 2 weeks. They exibited absolutely no problems in my care during that time with no drugs, after a few days of consistent disciplining the "symptoms" of their "disorder" were gone.
Consistent discipline, less TV (ideally NO TV) and computer games.... interaction and engagement with the child consistently and you will be amazed at the behavior shift in short order.
I would NEVER EVER EVER let a TEACHER pressure me into doping up my kid, because she or he has been made so impotent by the pc "self esteem" crowd and undicipling parents at home that they can no longer keep control of their classrooms.
Hi Joe,
My 10 year old son would no doubt be advised to be on this drug, but we homeschool and he is not on it.
He does very well when fed wholesome foods with low sugar intake, and we steer clear of colorings and additives.
He does well in his schoolwork and better when physical activity and work are included. He goes along with his dad on thursdays and works in the office shredding paper and alphabetizing files (the company owner recognised him with his own Jr. Exe. business cards at the last company dinner). He also has a lawn service that he and dad do as an aside. He makes a couple of hundred a month with the two jobs, and that makes him want to do well in school. And throw in plenty of tennis, swimming and target practice to round it out.
Having a lot of other children around causes excitement (classroom setting). Homeschool reduces this stimuli.
He reads and learns about things that he likes along with math and grammar ect. This has turned him into a reading machine.
Our work-hard, play-hard, and study-hard encouragement has worked well and this 10 year old has a very bright future.
FYI, my screen name is a sarcastic comment about the over-medication of kids in an era when parents have forgotten how to discipline kids and prefer the easy way out. Ritalin is a serious drug. I personally believe that its best to be avoided.