my 7 year old child is ADHD and has behavior problems what can I do?

Answer 1

A lot can be done simply by providing an environment that is clear and consistent with expetations towards behaviour. Children need to know that a negative behaviour will lead with certainty to an unwanted consequence. ADHD children need explicit and consistent expectations. It does work. Medication on its own is no solution, and many parents find medication is not needed once good parenting strageties are in place.
I'm not suggesting you are a bad parent by any means but sometime we can find it hard to be consistent and explicit with our children. (I know this from experience)
Be careful if you decide to go the medication route, they have strong side effects. A good paediatrician can help you with this.

Answer 2

I am a Mom of 2 kids with ADHD. Believe me it's not easy and for anyone to say it's a hype come to my house for dinner or maybe breakfast. It's a very difficult decision to make but well worth the time and effort. First have the child evaluated by a professional. They do a full testing, which takes a couple of visits, but well worth the time. The evaluation will determine the child's needs and if it is truly ADHD. Most children with ADHD have learning disabilities, OCD, Dyslexia along with the ADHD. Then there is structure in the household, which they have alot of sites you can go to and get information. Medication is also a great benefit depending on the child. My choice was for my oldest was a must, he could not focus and sit still for more then one minute. The youngest I decided to not put on medication until recently. It really is a hard call and a hard job to deal with. I know what you are going through. My oldest child is 17 now still on medication and a 75 average in high school. On the days that he doesn't take his med's I lock myself in the bathroom, LOL... But there is a big difference when he takes it and when he doesn't. He also knows that he needs the meds. Full blown ADHD is like a child that has diabetes that needs to take insulin, the medication is like wearing a pair of glasses. It enables them to focus on everything that they do. It's all up to each individual child and how bad the ADHD is.

Answer 3

God bless you sweetie. I have a 12 year old who was diagnosed with ADHD at age 4. I am a counselor and have been working with children for 6 years. The first thing that you need to do is talk to your child's doctor. He/She can recommend a good therapist or counselor who can help you to set up a behavior management program that can be very helpful. Also it helps to feel that you have someone else on your side. Whatever treatment options you decide to use with your child, don't let anyone make you feel bad about them. I didn't want to put my son on medication beause of all of the bad publicity and because people accused me of "drugging" my child. I fought with his doctor for over a year about the medication. I finally had no other choice. Nothing else worked. Within 2 weeks, my son went from being suspended from school to being named student of the month!!!! Sometimes medication is needed. I've seen many children be miserable for a long time because the parent was against medication. Not seeking treatment is only hurting the child. With some, behavior management and therapy are enough to help. Sometimes it takes medication. As far as a child getting "hooked" on the meds, if they are taken as prescribed, that can't happen. Also, studies have shown that children with ADHD who are medicated as children are 70% less likely to abuse drugs or alcohol as adults. People end up trying to self medicate which leads to addictions. Above all else, you are your child's parent. You know him/her better than anyone. You make the decision and don't let anyone else stop you or change your mind. Good luck and God Bless!!!!!!!

Answer 4

Keep a healthy kitchen. NO junk foods. Natural sugars. Skip the sweets. Food allergies could very well be the cause of his problems.

Keep a scheduled household. Children do well with regular schedules. They stay confused and scattered when they do not know what to expect next.

Medication is NOT necessarily the answer. Children need plenty of activity outside to burn off the energy.

When I was young ADHD was never even heard of but we did have PE in the schools and after school activities to burn off all of that energy.

Good Luck and try to keep your child off of the medication. They contribute to many suicides.

Answer 5

You can not believe the hype. ADHD along with several other mental disorders and such that are being diagnosed in kids are only there to help the medical field and prescription industry make money. You no longer can spank your kids or discipline them anymore, so of course they are not going to listen and be bad. There is a book called the ADHD fraud by Dr. Baughman that illustrates how psychiatry has made patients out of normal children for a financial gain. My nephew is also so called ADHD which my parents raise and when I babysit him or when I go over to their house, I don't listen to my parents and I still discipline him with spankings and such because both my parents are ill and were fooled into ADHD. He is a normal child with me around because he knows I will whoop his butt, but when i'm not there, his so called ADHD kicks in, it's called being a kid, modern parents forget what it was like, I would have been called ADHD when I was a kid if it was around, we are active, cause trouble, and don't listen to our parents, that what kids do, it is up to us to learn to be better parents to raise them and not rely on drugs from a doctor to make our jobs easier.

Answer 6

Dr, James Dodson has a excellent book on adhd. be very careful with the meds they try to put on kids they have side effects nutrition is very important , find a support group, you and your child can have a normal life. be careful of over stimulation.

Dr. Dodson is the bomb on this. i have a nephew and a good friend with this. Boys are rowdy anyway. I got my son into sports helped his channel his aggressions and behaviors into positives.
he was and is to food additives.

a healthy fresh diet is very important. God bless you a nd your child too

Answer 7

Two of my youngsters had very equivalent signs. The eldest was once dealt with with cure prescribed by way of a psychiatrist and counseling. The moment was once dealt with with rough love. The first had ordinary reactions to the medicines, was once hospitalized for three weeks for behavioral issues, and had issues at college. She was once honestly thrown out of pre college and judged as delinquent and tricky. Fast ahead: she is now married for 15 years and a blissful and superb mom of 3. It wasn't the cure or the counseling. She grew out of her drawback. The moment began down the identical street. Once she threatened suicide. I advised her to do it. She requested what I could do if she did. I mentioned, "I do not know. Try me!" She did not and in no way once more threatened to do it. She is now 22 and has outgrown her nervousness assaults. She is making improvements to with age and was once in no way medicated. She has a few temper swings, however does not everyone? When she was once younger and was once being 'unhealthy' I grew to be irritated and he or she was once punished, similar to each and every different average child. Don't attempt to over diagnose. Kids are a task most likely and don't need to be categorised considering they make parenting elaborate. Mental cure reputedly is in no way finishing. Once a routine of psychiatric care starts it is rough to flee and your youngster is also categorised for lifestyles as mentally unwell. Get your child off the cure and clear of the decrease. Be a guardian, now not a pal. Show him correct conduct and demand that he comply with it. Take cost. Hang rough. It'll be good enough.

Answer 8

My son, who is 9, is ADHD. We diagnosed him at seven. Since then it's been a trial and error process with different meds. Do your research, but I believe that a low dose of an ADHD med accompanied with working with his/her teachers to develop an individual education plan can be very helpful.

Answer 9

First your utmost patience is needed. If you choose to take the child to a physician you need to decide wether or not adhd medication is necessary.

Answer 10

There is a great deal you can do with regards to therapy, dietary changes, and medicine but you really need to be working with a physician since every child is different. It takes time and effort, but with professional help you will eventually see results and your child will benefit.