A few nights ago, while plugged into the tv, an ad came on for yet another prescription drug. Normally we have a good chuckle at these ads at my house. Need longer eyelashes? Buy our new amazing drug! You might go blind but you will be beautiful! Cholesterol too high? Forget about diet and exercise, pop one of these instead! Then there are the ones that list death as a possible side effect. Really, death? Can something as permanent as death be considered a side effect? Anyway, the ad that came on the other night crossed a line for me. Its one thing to market adult medications with horrendous side effects, but when it turns to kids I get a bit riled up. ADHD gets me going every time.
I am no stranger to ADHD. I live with an ADHD spouse and it can be quite frustrating. I’ve worked in preschools and public schools and I’ve seen the struggles that children, their parents and their teachers face in trying to create an environment that works for both the diagnosed child and his or her classmates. I’ve seen kids so medicated that they can barely stay awake in their seats and are devoid of the emotions that make them, well, them. I won’t get into (at this moment anyway) the fact that I firmly believe we are over-diagnosing this disorder. But drugging a child every day to get through school, or keep the peace at home, raises some red flags to me. Particularly when the side effects can be more debilitating than the original problem.
Sleepiness, tiredness, insomnia (which is it, you can or can’t sleep on this?), nausea, stomach pain, low heart rate, fainting. Your child should not operate heavy machinery. Your child should avoid dehydration. Your child may become a zombie.
We can’t be in our children’s bodies to know how the drug we give them makes them feel. I argue that it is one thing to medicate ourselves, experience the side effect and know whether or not it is worth it for us to continue, but it is an entirely different matter to feed our kids a pill and hope they don’t faint. Hope they don’t fall asleep on their desk. Hope they don’t spend their day with stomach pains and nausea.
There are other ways to manage the issues created by ADHD. The first is to recognize that some kids are simply high energy. It comes with being a kid. These are the kiddos who absolutely must play outside for hours each day no matter the weather. The ones who need to play sports and who need skillful teachers who understand that they not all kids are perfect. There is proof that changing a child’s diet can remedy the hyperactivity. Eliminating gluten, processed foods, dyes, and SUGAR can eliminate the symptoms. Have you looked at what is on school menus for breakfast lately? Cinnamon buns, chocolate milk, pop-tarts in some schools. If we feed our children a breakfast of sugar whose fault is it when they can’t sit still and pay attention in class? Other types of non-drug intervention include bio-feedback, sensory integration techniques, positive behavior interventions (think reward systems vs. punishments), family education, meditation, acupuncture, and counseling. Oh yeah, and yoga, of course. There are also several herbal supplements that can reduce symptoms. However, just because it’s herbal doesn’t mean its safe. Do research, before giving your child anything you don’t know about. And then, when we exhaust all of these options, and nothing works? Then we an think about turning to pharmaceuticals, knowing we have done everything in our power for our child.
Parenting isn’t about taking the quick fix. Parenting is hard work. We have chosen to bring these little beings into the world, knowing full well sending them back where they came from is not an option. We owe it to them to try our very hardest to keep their bodies pure for as long as we can. Heaven knows they won’t stay that way forever. My theory on parenting has always come down to this: kids tell us what they need from us, and it is our job to be listening. Sometimes it can be hard to figure out what they are saying with their behavior, but all that means is we need to work harder at trying to understand. That’s what behavior is for - communication. It isn’t simply to push our buttons and turn our hair gray. It won’t always be easy, but we were never guaranteed that it would be. We can’t always do it on our own, sometimes we have to ask for help and that’s okay. No one should be judged for needing help. There are professionals for this. Find one if you need one. Don’t let your child be a walking list of side effects.
I am no stranger to ADHD. I live with an ADHD spouse and it can be quite frustrating. I’ve worked in preschools and public schools and I’ve seen the struggles that children, their parents and their teachers face in trying to create an environment that works for both the diagnosed child and his or her classmates. I’ve seen kids so medicated that they can barely stay awake in their seats and are devoid of the emotions that make them, well, them. I won’t get into (at this moment anyway) the fact that I firmly believe we are over-diagnosing this disorder. But drugging a child every day to get through school, or keep the peace at home, raises some red flags to me. Particularly when the side effects can be more debilitating than the original problem.
Sleepiness, tiredness, insomnia (which is it, you can or can’t sleep on this?), nausea, stomach pain, low heart rate, fainting. Your child should not operate heavy machinery. Your child should avoid dehydration. Your child may become a zombie.
We can’t be in our children’s bodies to know how the drug we give them makes them feel. I argue that it is one thing to medicate ourselves, experience the side effect and know whether or not it is worth it for us to continue, but it is an entirely different matter to feed our kids a pill and hope they don’t faint. Hope they don’t fall asleep on their desk. Hope they don’t spend their day with stomach pains and nausea.
There are other ways to manage the issues created by ADHD. The first is to recognize that some kids are simply high energy. It comes with being a kid. These are the kiddos who absolutely must play outside for hours each day no matter the weather. The ones who need to play sports and who need skillful teachers who understand that they not all kids are perfect. There is proof that changing a child’s diet can remedy the hyperactivity. Eliminating gluten, processed foods, dyes, and SUGAR can eliminate the symptoms. Have you looked at what is on school menus for breakfast lately? Cinnamon buns, chocolate milk, pop-tarts in some schools. If we feed our children a breakfast of sugar whose fault is it when they can’t sit still and pay attention in class? Other types of non-drug intervention include bio-feedback, sensory integration techniques, positive behavior interventions (think reward systems vs. punishments), family education, meditation, acupuncture, and counseling. Oh yeah, and yoga, of course. There are also several herbal supplements that can reduce symptoms. However, just because it’s herbal doesn’t mean its safe. Do research, before giving your child anything you don’t know about. And then, when we exhaust all of these options, and nothing works? Then we an think about turning to pharmaceuticals, knowing we have done everything in our power for our child.
Parenting isn’t about taking the quick fix. Parenting is hard work. We have chosen to bring these little beings into the world, knowing full well sending them back where they came from is not an option. We owe it to them to try our very hardest to keep their bodies pure for as long as we can. Heaven knows they won’t stay that way forever. My theory on parenting has always come down to this: kids tell us what they need from us, and it is our job to be listening. Sometimes it can be hard to figure out what they are saying with their behavior, but all that means is we need to work harder at trying to understand. That’s what behavior is for - communication. It isn’t simply to push our buttons and turn our hair gray. It won’t always be easy, but we were never guaranteed that it would be. We can’t always do it on our own, sometimes we have to ask for help and that’s okay. No one should be judged for needing help. There are professionals for this. Find one if you need one. Don’t let your child be a walking list of side effects.
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