help

[redmama1992]

My 4 year old son can't sit down ......I don't really believe in medicine any other options???

[allmymarbles]

Note: England has banned the use of drugs such as Ritalin for children. Cheers!

[FashionBomb]

Have you tried taking out all dyes in foods? Cutting down the sugar levels? Or even going organic?  If you are truly worried that he has excessive energy that may require medications, but medications are no-good...... I would try these options before anything..... Taking my kids off dyes helped immensely!  But then to cut the sugars way down and to go organic has helped even more.  I have an 8 year old with high ADHD, high anxiety, and dyslexia and we are down to 5mg of meds a day!  And I have a 4 year old with OCD, sensory issues, and self abusive temper tantrums.  Changing the way we eat has helped both my kids out so much and myself!

[MarkLakewood3367]

Treating a child with behavioral issues doesn't mean medication.  There are many other remedies that should be tried before medication should ever be considered.

In today's society, we look for the quick fix.  However, rarely does medication ever fix a problem such as behavioral issues.  Medication is a band aide approach and not a long term solution.  It is often easier to band aide a behavior problem with medication than solving the problem because to requires more work.

[Stacey_80]

I have the same concern. My child is now 5 and even her teachers has started complaining. I can however keep her a bit subdued at home by keeping her busy with different activities. I wish I can say the same at school. Like most here, I also am against medicating children for ADHD or ADD.

[RayneeDay]

I would completely agree here. I personally feel that most children should NOT be medicated for ADHD until all other avenues have been exhausted. There are exceptions under extreme cases. I fought with the school system for a few years myself, when they insisted that my son was ADHD and required medication. I never put him on any medication. He is 24 years old now, and only exhibits mild symptoms of ADD. He never was overly hyper, in my opinion, he was simply an active child that would get bored easily and entertain himself if he wasn't given something to occupy him. One teacher had great success keeping him focussed by allowing him to help other students. This kept him from finding his own ways to entertain himself, but only one teacher was willing to do this with him. Others wanted to medicate him to suppress his self-expression. Children naturally have A LOT more energy than adults. It is our job to channel that energy in productive, creative ways, not to suppress it. If your child is indeed ADHD or ADD, I believe he needs time to learn how to function with it, and grow before he is medicated into a dependancy. If later in life, he cannot control himself, and all attempts to focus him naturally have failed, then possibly medication is the answer. Just keep in mind, there are many side effects of medication, and addiction is highly possible. Of course, the decision is ultimately yours and your doctor's. I wish you the very best, it's not an easy battle!

[Sandman2]

    This might be helpful in telling you what is kind of typical 4 year old behavior and what is not.
    http://www.livescience.com/22362-adhd-symptoms-guide.html