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You have good points, but in my case, none of them are true. I stayed at home with my daughter and didn't go to work until her sister was in kindergarten (she was in 2nd then). We lived in the country on several acres where did could and did run around and play. We provided structure, church, daily Bible readings, everything one would think would be necessary to set her up right. I actually did homeschool her briefly (about 4 months) and I saw that it wasn't me, it wasn't the teacher, it was her. Everything else worked with her sister, who is a straight A student, Varsity athlete and the 12th ranked french horn in the state of Virginia (yeah, proud mom alert there) Kids are just wired differently.

All that being said, I have heard of vastly different situations where the doctor took 10 minutes with the parent, and handed over a prescription. I have to doubt those situations.

I stayed at home with my daughter and didn't go to work until her sister was in kindergarten (she was in 2nd then).

Good for you. (Also, good for the kids.) I didn't mean to state that all hyper kids fit into the lazy parent category. My example is from personal observations from: my wife's day care she ran, volunteering at my kids schools, teaching Sunday School, and being a Boy Scout leader.

I can completely agree with your example of kids wired differently. My oldest is like an absent minded professor. He can remember some of the most bizarre information (and very detailed at that), but not remember to write down his assignments or put his name on his papers. While he has scored high on standardized testing, his flightiness means he has to learn alot of life's lessons the hard way.

My second son is smart but extremely well disciplined. He gets on the A honor roll and does all his homework without being asked. We raised them with pretty much the same, but their wiring is completely different.

In talking with my Mom, my oldest is actually more like me when I was young. He can be full of energy one minute, then quietly telling himself a story the next. I've read some of the information on ADHD, and I believe my oldest would qualify for drugs. However, I'll never do it. Just because he doesn't fit the standard mold we look for in our kids, doesn't mean that he needs to be drugged to fit into the mold.

The saddest part that I see with the medicated kids I deal with is the combination of the desire for attention with the added twist of NO REAL discipline for bad behavior! As a Scout leader, it's real challenging to correct kids who know of no real consequences. They even say, "I can't help it." and they believe it because their parents re-inforce that idea. Sad and Scary.

Thank you for being a dedicated parent and being there for your kids. The future is better for all of us because of your hard work.

Sincerely