My son lately is an emotional mess,we have our good days and bad..But now it is even worse than before.Hitting his sister,fighting with the kids next door,rollign his eyes at teacher and the list goes on and on .I called his doc and he raised his meds alittle bit to help him focus more in school.Now he is 8 years old and he should have some control (i think)
Should i get him some counseling??What kind of doctor do i need to take him to.
A good friend of mine suggested we put him in Karate to keep him focused and to give him some discipline.I don t know....HELP
2007-10-24 14:44:21 · 6 answers · asked by fuck 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Parenting
My younger brother was like that, so I know what you are talking about. In the 80's & 90's when he was growing up, he was on ritalin and went to family counselors, psychologists and everything. In some ways, I think he just had to outgrow it. Some things that helped at the time were structured activities - he loved soccer, boy scouts, and in high school it was marching band. All things that require discipline and structure, which can help kids with attention problems. I think having a very structured schedule and environment helped him focus - and then at home it was a free for all and he would just run around like nuts. After highschool he went into the navy and really is doing amazing. So I think karate might be a really great idea.
A friend i have now is having similar issues with her 10 yr old son. We found some articles on alternative treatments, including cutting back on artificial ingredients and chemicals, and also trying to eliminate dairy/milk products from the diet. Some people had drastically good results. It's worth a try.
Anyways, good luck, I can only imagine how hard it is - my own daughter is only 1 yr. :)
2007-10-24 14:59:39 · answer #1 · answered by daisy mcpoo 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have been living with child that is ADD, ODD, OCD, and TS. He will soon be 13, and it has been a struggle for 9 years now. All uphill too!!
Meds are a good thing, but only a tool. You also need Behavior Intervention./ Modification therapies.
Meds help get the child to pay attention, but then you need to teach the child strategies to cope with situations and feelings. Most of us pick these up as we go along in our childhood, but some kids need some extra help. That is where behavior modification comes into play.
Meds are not a "magic bullet" and the guidance of a child physiologist or behavior Therapist must be used with the pills.
The pills will take you so far...then you'll plateau. Most family doctors , with good intentions, will increase the meds, but have little to offer on behavior modification.
It is a hard road...and not only the child will learn, but you too. I know I have. My parenting style has changed dramatically!!
Good luck and stay strong!!
2007-10-24 22:32:24 · answer #2 · answered by Duckie 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My 9.5yr has ADHD along with some learning issues.
A good doctor to see would be a pediatric neuro developmentalist. If there's something wrong beyond the surface issues, they can help you out and get him on the right track. They call also help him and help YOU help him when it comes to social skills, school work etc.
I'd start signing him up for after school activities. Karate, Boys Scouts and Art classes are very popular and can help with focusing, but it's a win - lose situation. For some it helps, for some it doesn't. Try sports, taking him outside,structured activities, anywhere where he can burn energy.
At home, his behavior is unacceptable and he needs to have an effective consequence for it. Put your foot down when he does something wrong and follow through. That's how he'll learn. I'd suggest setting up some kind of schedule in your house so there isn't any chaos. The less there is, the calmer EVERYONE in the house will be.
I have four kids, 3 boys are 9.5, 7.5 and 3.5 and a baby girl who is 2ms. I have a behavior system set up in the house. For everytime they behave, finish homework, chores etc they get a little coin to put in a jar with their name on it. If they misbehave, fight etc, they get coins taken away (along with a punishment). At the end of the week, these coins can be used to pick the place we go to eat, watch TV for an extra half an hour, stay up a little longer etc. Each one of these events costs a certain amount of coins. It works great with my boys and they started to stop themselves before misbehaving.
I'd also sugges to start reading and looking up info about ADHD. You'd be surprised at the number of things written about different things people have done with their kids. I've found a lot of info myself that even doctors aren't aware of. They don't know everything you know.
If you have any questions, fell free to e-mail me.
Best Wishes =]
2007-10-24 22:06:57 · answer #3 · answered by Sam 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have mild add, and now my son seems to have it too. I know its easy to feel so out of control, but he needs you. Do you keep track of what he eats? Do you think he would do better on a different med, or no meds? I dont know how severe he is. You say he is emotional, not having trouble in doing his school work. Why raise his meds? I have found that cod liver oil helps. Some times we just dont have the omega 3 fatty acids in our diet, and it helps in so many ways. Caffiene has effects too.
I would get couseling for you and your son. A Psycologist may be a good choice. He may just be having trouble with social skills. He needs to learn how to adjust and adapt to things in this world, you are right. I hope the site's below will help.
2007-10-24 22:13:19 · answer #4 · answered by T I 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have you tried changing his diet? Cutting out dairy and gluten have helped a lot of kids that are ADD/ADHD and autistic. It is called the Feingold diet.
2007-10-24 22:54:57 · answer #5 · answered by Ryan's mom 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your friend has the right idea!
2007-10-24 22:11:07 · answer #6 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋