Not Sure what else to do with 6 year old son

Hello Everyone...

I have a 6 year old son who is a very energetic boy..  He is very smart, very loving, kind, helpful etc...  The issue that I am having is he has a hard time with self control, he will go off and do goofy things just because...  eg. I picked him up from school and I saw him walking to the street to come to the car but he saw some older kids wrestling so he ran and starting wrestling with them, they didn't ask him nothing...  I asked him why he did that and he said he saw them wrestling...  He has a hard time sitting still, concentrating and all that great stuff... This is also making it very difficult for him because kids have branded him as the bad kid, but he is far from it, he just has a hard time when he is in big groups, when he is at home he can sit and do puzzles, draw, paint, bike ride, watch a movie (you get the point), for hours, I don't have a big issue with him at home, the odd little thing but keep in mind he is still only 6...   The doctor figures he has some sort of ADHD but we are going to have to wait for the official result...  Anyways, my issue is I don't want to put him on medication at all, I want to find a different way of dealing with this issue...  He has a regular schedule, he gets 10 hours of sleep at night, he eats healthly, we don't eat junk food or eat fast food (that's a special treat), he eats his vege's, fruits, dairy etc...  I try to do most of my own baking... I've cut out chocolate all together  ... I've bought him Ogema 3 supplement to take daily...  I'm at a loss at what to do, his teacher wants him to go on medication but I'm sorry I do not believe we are at that point...  Does anybody have any suggestions that I could try...  We are even doing up an "I'm Awesome Chart" that has a daily issues on it and he gets to check them off everytime he does them without an issue...  He does get discplined if he has done something wrong, ie. privileges taken away, and other things...  Is there any other natural remedy that someone has tried and it worked, or even reward that works...  

Thanks in advance

[Sunshine97]

I am in your exact same situation with my 7 year old son.  I believe my son is just lacking self control.  He is seeing a counselor who feels bipolar disorder is the diagnosis but wants me to get a 2nd opinion since ADHD and Biploar disorder have similar symptoms.  Thing is...he is absolutely fine at home.  I don't have any problems with him at all.  All his issues are at school and partly at after school care.  He does not do well in group settings.  And he does not do well with getting in trouble or not getting his way.  He gets very angry and can't let it go.  It's just down hill from there.  The rest of the day is ruined for him.  To me that sounds like he needs a little more self control and a better way to deal with his anger NOT medication.  The school did not agree and he was just expelled.  A 7 year old expelled from school...crazy.  If he had not had trouble in after school care previously for the same things I would ask the school to see a video.  I would not believe they were talking about my child.  He is nothing like that at home.  I just don't get it.  I am going to have him see a child psychiatrist and see what their diagnosis is.  I do NOT want my child medicated either.  I have taken away tv, video games, play dates, everything.  None of that worked.  I recently have started taking him to the park and we run the track.  Not sure if that is helping.  Again he was already doing fine at home so? I do know he had an entire month of making "good choices" at school and after school care...that was the month he played football.  Also noticed if he plays video games before school (i know how horrible but it is his 5 minute reward) he gets in trouble that day.  It is very rare he gets to play video games before school but the handful of times he has...trouble that day.  So I know my son needs physical activity and more than the little PE time at school and less video games.  I have been looking for natural alternatives for behavioral issues.  I have not come across anything worth mentioning.  I'm an overworked single parent too with an ex that allows video games and all fun time at dads.  I'll keep you posted on the information I get from the doctors.  Keep me posted on yor finds too.

[mom20010803]

Well I thought I would post some updates on what I have found that so far are working I think with my son...

1. The omega3 chewable for kids (you take 2 in the morning and 2 in the evening)
2. We have cut back majorly on gluten, I buy organic or gluten-free cereal, noodles etc.or try and stay away from wheat in products
3. They have chocolate chip cookies that are gluten-free and chips etc. at our town health food store (not bad) ***I understand I can't totally go gluten-free, come on he's 6, but we have cut back on it...  
4. Also have bought Not from Concentrate Apple Juice (Sun-Rype) expensive but I think worth it also, I add abit of water to it to make it last longer...
5. Ketchup and tomato soup is his favorite, we when all organic
6. His teacher and I had a talk about trying the positive enforcement instead of the negative enforcement (eg. instead of Don't wrestle with people, try I will play soccer or football with my friends)
7. I also talked to the principal (it's nice for us because it's a small town and the principal was my grade 8 teacher, and track coach) and he suggested a heavy vest that the physical therapist for the school might be able to get, so he would wear it abit in the morning and a bit in the afternoon to try and slow him down...  it would be his special vest...
8. I also was able to get a referral from our family doctor to see a physcologist that comes to the clinic once a month for free
9. I put up a chart on his wall with little things on it, it's his "I'm Doing Awesome Chart"..  It has little things like, I got ready for the day, I made good choices at school and home, I did my chores, I was a good sport...  you get the picture...  We did this up for about 15 weeks and he gets to put a check mark on each square that he has done, also if he makes a bad choice or something I just put a 1x(or depending on the amount of bad choices) and then a check mark for the rest of the square at the end of the chart it's a surprise if he can make it with mostly check marks
10. I have been talking to him before I drop him off in the mornings about good choices and also if we make it through the day he gets to pick the family thing we do (eg. catch or soccer or biking riding etc.) if he doesn't I get to pick what I want to do...
11. I also got a referral to have him tested for ADD or ADHD I still won't put him on medication but if I can some how figure out other ways to help him then I'm OK with that...
12. I have done TONS of research on foods and natural ways to go about this and it seems to be working so far...  
13. His teacher is also trying to make sure that he is one of the last ones in the line up or going to the bathroom, etc. and also trying to have a TA go with him to prevent any little issues with a group setting..
14. I've been talking to him also just trying to explain to him in the best of ways as possible that we have an allergy like milk but it makes him full of energy with certain foods, I also talk to him about playing with a different person each day to have a variety of friends...  I don't know if that affects your son but I know with mine he plays with one certain friend and it causes MAJOR issues...
15. I haven't taken away tv or video games etc. because it's not a big issue with us, we don't watch much tv at all and video games are only a family thing if it's really yuky weather and we don't feel like sitting and playing a board game...  We listen to alot of music...  
16. Also I have been including him in more things like making supper, doing more chores, building things like a new fence etc. also home renovations that I'm doing...

Have a great day...

[Mommy3Girls]

If what you are doing does not make a difference in him at school you may want to rethink putting him on meds. Believe me, its not easy to do as a parent. I waited a year and half to put my daughter on it. By that time she was really far behind in math and reading because she couldnt stay focused long enough to learn what they were teaching her. Now she is in 4th grade and still only reads at a 2nd grade level. Just something to think about. I cried when I finally decided to try a medication to help her control her herself, but in the long run it has made good changes for her. She is learning quicker, retaining information, helping other kids in class that need help with certain things, and she doesnt have low self esteem anymore from being talked to constantly by the teacher about staying on task. Because of what happened with her, we ended up diagnosing my youngest daughter in time and she is doing wonderfully in school. She is at grade level in every subject and staying on task. Both the girls teachers love having them in class.