‘I WAS TOLD TO DOPE MY KID'

"I think a strong return to corporal punishment by the schools might be healthy too. First, whack the kids. Then whack these idiot lazy stupid parents ten times as many strokes as you give the kids."

The parents deserve the strokes for not applying dicipline in the home and for "blaming" everything else for their kid's behavior. Until dicipline is established and administered in the home, educators will seek to take the least resistive path, which happens to be "diagnosing" the child with a having "problem" that conveniently releases both parent and educator from accountability. Many times, the parents are happy to have the results of their failure to administer punishment excused by medical reasoning.

I know of a parent today whose child never is diciplined corporally at home, has become unruly and obnoxious, was "diagnosed" with ADHD, and - get this - the parents (mother) first blamed sugar, then red food coloring, the child's friend, then the dog for their problem. All the while I'm thinking these parents, the child, the educators, and the doctors need a flogging for not recognizing the actual culprit - the parents' seeking an "excuse" instead of applying the rod of correction....

Regards,
Az

Once I was sent to the school counselor (back then we only had one, but she sure knew everybody) by a not particularly wise teacher. When I cheerfully arrived at the office, the counselor asked, "What are YOU doing here?".

Haha... My husband always tells a similar story - a substitute teacher sent him to the high school counselor one day when she caught him doing something (I forget what) in class. The counselor sat him down and called for his file, all set to read him the riot act. When he opened it (I guess expecting to see suspensions but seeing a perfect record and A's, instead), he just looked at him a second, then just closed the file and said: You can go back to class, son.

BTW, I was one of those dummies who cut class all the time. I spent more time in in-school suspension than my classes in 11th grade.

Dear Philman_36: Thanks for your reply. My doctor also recommends me taking a multi-vitamin pill. I never get colds nor do I get the Flu. But one time I did heed his advice and took a multi-vitamin for a few months. What happened? I developed a fever, felt hot one minute and cold the next. Tossed those pills, got over whatever and felt fine. I'm really paranoid about taking any pill the doctor recommends. If it ain't broken, don't fix it.

I am the mother of a 10 yo boy who has been through hell this last year. After going through the "testing" the school requested a few years ago, my son was put on Ritalin. I agreed and noticed some difference for a short time period. We relocated and I talked with the teacher and told her he had been "diagnosed" (after looking at a piece of paper that says he fidgets, doesn't like to stay in his seat, etc. the dr. can say he has ADHD), but that I had chose to take him off of the Ritalin due to side affects. It was all down hill from there.

Three weeks into the school year she pulled me aside in the hallway and informed me my son needed anti-depressants, and I really needed to medicate him. Her class could not learn with him in there. You'd have thought he was tearing the walls down, yet the other teachers never had a problem, the after school program never had any problems. Here is a teacher who tells the kids "It bothers me when you tap your pencil, please do not do that." We were kids once, we tried to push our teachers, see how far we could go before getting into trouble. But, I agreed to try the Ritalin again, and my son went was doped up looking, laying on floor crying with headaches in the afternoons, frequently wanted to eat and had a horrible time sleeping at night. My family asked that I never give him his medication when we were planning a visit as he literally could do nothing but sit on the chair, and this was on the lowest dose.

I have sympathy for the students who get placed in rooms like this woman's. She admitted openly that she does not have time to read or spend any one on one time with her students. My son received an A in reading when she was sitting down helping him, allowing him to read out loud to her, but that went to a D later because she "just didn't have time". My son went from failing grades to almost all A's, B's and C's (nothing lower than a C) after he was removed from the ritalin.

Anyways, to make a 9 month long story short, she insisted on sending a notebook home every day and criticized every thing he did every single day. She talk horribly about him in front of him. And, the cake topper was he upset some kids in a group and he was pulled aside to tell his story and when it differed from the other children, they were brought in and "they yelled at him saying he was lying" (her words exactly in the book she was sending home.) She repeatedly told me in the book, in writing that he needed medication, but I refused. After repeated contacts with the principal and superintendent, she took the book and refused to send it home again. I made a few copies early on, but at the end of the year the school wanted to see it, and I really don't know if they actually got to or if she "lost it". Teachers and school staff have NO RIGHT WHATSOEVER to tell anyone to medicate their child.

Teachers want to stand up front and talk about each subject and that's it. 3:00 rolls around and they are out the door. There is no staying after class to get some help in other subjects anymore. My son's state math score was that of a 7th grader and he is in the 4th grade. If the schools weren't paying administration so much, we would have tutors or aides in our schools once again.

I am lucky, I took my son off of Ritalin before he needed something else to cure something the Ritalin caused Unfortunately, there are many children that it's too late for, damage has been done and it cannot be reversed. There are children who are dying from the combinations of drugs they are being prescribed. If they aren't dying, they are shooting up the schools and honestly, I can understand why they are exploding at the schools. These teachers are forcing us to drug our children or else.....or else what? They are MY children, not the schools. Sure, I believe some kids truly do have ADD or ADHD, but not every boy in every school.

I do respect everyone's opinion and choice, but I believe doctors are doctors and teachers are suppose to be teachers, not drugging our children so that their day is easier. I am a single mom who cannot afford the expensive private schooling prices, nor can I stay at home and home school my children, but they aren't giving us any other options or alternatives. Drug them or else! And again I ask, or else what? Kick them out? For what, tapping a pencil, I don't think so. They can keep right on threatening me and I will keep on fighting them!!!

Personally, I take as little medication as necessary, even aspirin. When I'm sick I take what I'm given to get over it and move on. I'd rather get a shot first. Luckily I've never really been sick too often so I've never really had to take too much medication.
I think they believe everything can be cured with a pill. Maybe they're taught that they can.

You sound like a marvelous mother. You know your child best. Boys will be boys - always - and they should be. Does he belong to the Boy Scouts? It's a good organization where he can learn many skills and you might find some men who will study his abilities and might help you decide if he needs drugs - although I don't think they will recommend them. And you are completely correct - no teacher should recommend a drug for your child. Only a doctor is qualified to do this. If a teacher recommended a drug for my child, I'd sue. Take care.