I just read an article about how they are now putting children in their toddling years on ADHD medication. It was very sad.
When my younger son, J, was a little boy he was what we used to call ALL boy. He never walked when he could run. He was into everything.
In stores it was always, "J, put that back. J, come here. J, stop that. J, put that back again." Bless his heart, he once told me, "Mom, I must be famous!" I asked him why he thought that. He told me, "'Cause everywhere we go, people know my name!". He was referring, of course, to the store workers that would address him by name after hearing me tell him to put stuff back a dozen times. I just told him that, yes, he must be famous.
He was and is my angel boy. He was and is my heart. He could not nor will he ever do any wrong.
I worried about him going into school. If he was this rambunctious at home, how bad would he be there? They were starting to put kids on medication and I was vehemently opposed to that. Turns our, he was a perfect child at school. He did his work, he paid attention, he minded the teachers. I let out a big, "Whew!".
Now, though, they seem to take medical advice from teachers and put any child who daydreams on medication. I feel so bad for them. Of course, I am not in the medical field, either, and I respect a parent's right to handle their own children. But I do know what it was like to have a child like they describe as needing meds.
Here are some wise word from a wise man, George Carlin:
(A Warning - He does use a few bad words, so if you mind that, please don't watch.)
I hear you, Mary. That article horrified me. My elder sister's son is 8 this year, but I remember how he was when he was just growing up. He always loved annoying me, either by grabbing my stuff and yelling "AAAAH!" at me in little toddler defiance or lifting my eyelid at 6 in the morning years later and going ,"Wakey wakey!"
ReplyDeleteHe loved me, and it was mutual. Was he a bit hyper? Of course he was, he was a kid. But since when did that call for medication? This is really sad
Thank you, Mathew. The idea that normal childhood exuberant energy is used as a reason to medicate small children just blows my mind. Haha "Wakey, wakey!" I can see that going over well.
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