July 11th, 2011 at 01:50pm
Under ADHD
by Mindy Mazur
Five Questions your Family should Consider
Before I start, I want to acknowledge that there are many different opinions about medicating your child diagnosed with ADHD. That said, I will leave that discussion for another time. Instead, this article is about the families that have already made the decision to medicate their child and have witnessed very positive results, and have decided on a summer medication vacation.
One of the families I’m working with recently informed me that they were taking their eight year old son Max (diagnosed with ADHD) off his stimulant medication. A friend suggested it so that he could gain weight, grow and catch up with his peers (many children are not gaining weight and have difficulty sleeping on stimulant medication). Actually, there’s little evidence that ADHD medicines have permanent impact on ultimate growth. Some children who use stimulants may not grow as quickly as their peers, but they often catch up eventually. If you are concerned about other side effects your child is experiencing, meet with his psychiatrist and consider a dosage adjustment or medication change before stopping your child’s medicine for the summer.
I don’t usually tell families what they should do rather I make suggestions and offer information so they are able to make informed decisions. But I couldn’t hold back. I told them it was a mistake and that they shouldn’t do it. This is because their son needs his medication to function in his world whether it‘s in school, camp, or just playing with friends. Max’s most recent evaluations both reported the following:
- School difficulties are in social/emotional/behavioral areas
- Has a poor delay of gratification
- Impaired adherence to commands to regulate or inhibit behavior in social contexts
- Poor executive functioning
- Difficulty planning and delaying his responses when presented with tasks that are most demanding of that skill
Just think for a moment, would you have your child take an eyeglass vacation? An insulin vacation? Or if your child had a chronic medical condition, would you discontinue medication? None of these conditions take a vacation. ADHD doesn’t take one either.
Here are five questions I would suggest that your family should consider before stopping medication:
- Would his non-medicated ADHD behaviors make it difficult for your child to relate to friends and adults in a group or individually?
- Would his non-medicated ADHD impact his ability to complete the summer reading assignment (hopefully the IEP includes a modified reading list)?
- Would his non-medicated ADHD behaviors make home life difficult, such as completing daily activities of life and getting along with other siblings?
- Would his non-medicated behaviors make it difficult for your family to enjoy (let alone survive) a long trip or vacation?
- And most importantly…what would make your child’s summer the most positive, fun, and self-esteem building-experience?
The decision to take a medication vacation depends on each individual family. Many children with ADHD can be successful learning, growing, and having fun away from school if their ability to focus and act thoughtfully is consistent all year long.
Tags: ADD, Attention Deficit Disorder, medicating children
By Susan Epstein
June 27th, 2011 at 11:11am
Under Teens/Tweens
Keep your kids on schedule and busy and supervised this summer with these tips and techniques:
Younger kids will benefit from a schedule that you set in place.
- Up the same time every morning
- A few chores
- 20 minutes of reading time
- Meals at the same time during the day
- Regular bedtimes
- Lots of exercise –shut off the TV!
Older kids and teens need more. If they are not old enough to work, get them to volunteer at least 10 hours per week. The benefits of volunteering are amazing! Giving without getting paid, doing something for someone less fortunate, (and for the parents: knowing where your kids are and what they are up to!)
By Susan Epstein
June 14th, 2011 at 12:30am
Under Teens/Tweens
Parents ask me all the time, “How many times do I have to keep repeating myself to get my child/teen to stop being disrespectful?”
My answer is always, “As many times as it takes for them to get that you mean it.” I know it is tedious and exhausting but hang in there. If you can get your point across in a few corrective words, eventually your child/teen will integrate the information. However, if you lose your temper, lecture, rant and rave…you will get nowhere. They will stop listening to your words and only hear your emotional state (usually frustration, disgust, and exhaustion).
This week remember the Robotic Parenting Mantra-and call them on their non-verbal disrespect and repeat as many times as it takes:
“Please don’t __________ it’s disrespectful”.
Who’s running your house?
I want to help you get peace and harmony. So right now, I am offering you my products at 50% off the regular price. I only set aside 50 copies of each book/dvd/cds and they are going fast. Just enter Coupon Code: JUNE11 to receive the discount.
Click here to get yours today
By Susan Epstein
June 7th, 2011 at 05:22am
Under Teens/Tweens
Every home needs a hierarchy to run smoothly. In homes that have peace and harmony it looks like this.
In homes where chaos reigns it looks like this:
This week remember the Robotic Parenting Mantra-“Please don’t speak to me that way, it’s disrespectful”.
Who’s running your house?
I want to help you get peace and harmony. So right now, I am offering you my products at 50% off the regular price. I only set aside 50 copies of each book/dvd/cds and they are going fast. Use Coupon Code: JUNE11 to receive your discount.
Click here to get yours today
By Susan Epstein
May 23rd, 2011 at 09:24pm
Under Teens/Tweens
by Guest Blogger: Renee Bedford
It seems all people do these days is look at screens, and children are the “worst” of us. Though it is not necessarily their fault, I have not seen my nieces, nephews and my own little one without their portable game console, laptops, cell phones or other technological gadgets in a long time. Mothers are of course worrying, and like me, Marion Lybbert of Mom’s Talk is asking other moms if their kids are as savvy in the real world as they are with technology. She raises concern about simple things that may slip through the cracks between school and that latest gadget. Simple skills like tying their shoelaces when Velcro is the norm get lost in the overabundance of information and stimulation that is the 21st century.
Technology may have helped children all over the world to connect, share, and learn new ideas and skills quickly, without having to move their behinds, but there remains a major question mark hanging over the heads of millions. The Digital Age has children pursuing both an online reality and a face-to-face one, and we are left to wonder how much this impacts development, and if this impact is negative or positive.
1. Wii
As far as interactive game consoles go, Wii is the most active and popular one on the market. From tennis to fishing, baking or any other real game or sport, the Wii has a simulation for it. This creates a world where the child does not need to venture out and experience real world activities. Despite efforts in creating social environment in the virtual realm, the social interaction that comes with real-life activities gets thrown out the window.
Instead: Let your children build discipline and social skills through athletics or other activities. Joining a sports team will teach healthy competitive spirit, the discipline of practice and stamina for physical rigor. It also instills a desire for daily exercise that carries into adulthood. Learning new outdoor skills like fishing will develop an appreciation for nature. My house has kept the Wii for special occasions only, like sleepovers and holidays, and instead hold family badminton tournaments and tug-of-wars—priceless moments that we all remember fondly.
2. Avatars
Fast, convenient and basically free, email is the most common form of online communication. It has led younger generations to formulate an online persona, often used to hide those guilty of online bullying. Because users are able to create multiple avatars and use them to bombard others with hate mail without fear of repercussions, our children do not learn to take responsibility for their actions.
Instead: Other than enrolling your child in team sports, coach them to use snail mail. This teaches them to make an effort, consider a means of communication they wouldn’t normally, and it gives a more personal touch to a letter, even if it is typed. Their friends will appreciate getting real mail, which they almost never do, and adults will feel the sincerity in their thank you notes and other letters. This also reinforces the idea that there’s life beyond their computer.
3. GPSA
Global Positioning Satellite device is an interactive, handy map that will give you directions on anywhere you need to go. It cuts out the middleman on having to consult a paper map, analyzing where the road ends, memorizing street names and addresses, and even remembers the route to your home or office so all you have to say is, “Home”. The dependence on this gadget is incredible, with everyone, not only children, not really knowing where to go or what to do unless their GPS is pointing them in the right direction. This proves difficult when the device is unavailable, whether broken or malfunctioning.
Instead: Even if they think it’s a waste of time, take the effort to teach your children basic survival skills, like reading maps and building fires. In the times like these, we have to be prepared for situations that may arise and hopefully, even though your kids may never need to survive in the wild, learning these skills which teach them independence, analytical strategies and creative thinking in difficult situations.
4. Applications aka ‘Apps’
Everything now has a Smartphone or tablet application. These games and applications are built to be addictive, not to educate or entertain. Taking time away from real world and face-to-face interaction, iPhone and iPad apps undermine the social experience of real conversations and are a constant source of unhealthy competition, addiction and distraction.
Instead: Instill a “gadget-free time” in your house, like my husband and I did with mine. Let your children suggest activities that do not involve any type of screen and can be done by the whole family. We go to mini golf, play a board game, bake, cook dinner, or explore the nearest museums and forests if we’re feeling adventurous. Engage your kids in real conversations about their lives and interests. Doing so not only encourages their personal and intellectual growth, it also helps you get to know each other that much better.
Dependence on technology is rampant in the 21st century, but not unstoppable. By taking the time to teach your children to be self-reliant you ensure their bright future.
Self reliance and preparedness come naturally to Renee Bedford, a mom who knows these skills will keep her children not only smarter but safer. Renee sells artificial Christmas trees for Christmas Tree Market. Being prepared for some hands-on assembly might be required, because many of her products are artificial Christmas trees.
By Susan Epstein
