Parents of kids with add or adhd?

Question

i have an extremely bright 5yr (6 in november) that cannot focus! he was doing really well academically until he switched preschools but now his behavior is off the chain! before he had a hard time listening and focusing but he was only 4. someone had mentioned adhd but i brushed it off and just continued working with him. now he cannot stay focused on anything longer than 30 secd. getting him dressed in the morning is impossible because he daydreams, wonders off, or will just sit and sing very loudly. he acts inappropriately in social situations. hes very bright and has a great memory but i am worried about him going to kindergarten in the fall. i am in the process of trying to have him evaluated but seems like a process, and i dont want to pump him full of meds either. just wanting to know others experiences and how i can help him best.thanks - iknow its long.

Answer 1

try making morning a race, keep a chart and everything. On his wall keep the chart, every morning stand in the door with a timer and see how long it takes him to get ready, it will seem like a game and he'll do it fast. Then put the time on a chart and let him know if it was faster or slower then the day before. All little kids have a hard time focusing, boys more then girls and the ADHD doesn't help. Try putting him an activities like swimming or karate, they give short little speech followed by a lot of activity. He will learn something important, get rid of some energy, he may learn to focus more, and he'll make friends. As for acting out in social situations, most kids do, it's hard to teach them that they have to talk and behave differently because more people are around. This will come with practice and age. Every time he acts out of line just tell him no, explain what he could have said, tell him to go say sorry and tell that person what he should have said.

Answer 2

the other poster made many good points...

my 4 kids have different degrees of ADHD which had triggers from food. red 40, processed sugars, additives and all that nasty stuff that should not be in our food..

I had a dopey Dan, she would slow way down and nod off....

and then the twins= chip & dale on speed...a jolly rancher with the sugar and red 40 was good for 48 hrs at fast forward..

the youngest seems to be a dopey dan also...

we became vegeitarian and this helped them 100%...

for a 6 month period my now ex had his 12 yr old son with us...full blown ADHD, etc and they had him on 6 different meds...threw the meds in the toilet and had him on a 3 week clean system diet...very boreing...and he and I talked about it and he aggreed to try it...

after 3 weeks he got to pick his first "possible danger food" it was chocolate pudding...he got 1 spoon full in his mouth and got an immediate reaction and could regocnize it...

He went from fighting and d- grades to a nice kid with straight A's...he had food allergies...

His Dad did not believe this and gave the boy a mountain dew and a bag of skittles one time...when they got back in the car you could see the kid trying to crawl out of his skin!!

" I tried to tell Dad that I can't eat that junk, where's the lawn mower, I gotta work this stuff out of my system!!" he was at fastforward and that lawn was done in minutes...

many times it is a diet thing because there is so much chemicals in our stuff today...

Answer 3

I would try a couple of things first before going the ADD/ADHD route - although i truly believe there are children suffering from this disorder and need the meds/help they are getting - i also know that is the most misdiagnosed disease for children.   It sounds like you are getting a bit frustrated with your son and rightly so - but being he's only five i would rule out

1.  get rid of all high fructose corn syrups, additives and artificial colorings from his diet.  Increase his proteins at breakfast and eat more organics and fibers.   Also give him good cheeses/whole wheat crackers, organic yogurt (none with the art colors and sweetners.

I think you will see a distinct difference in his behavior.  It takes discipline to cut out the other stuff but I saw a HUGE difference in my son.  

2.  Monitor his sleep.  How often does he get up at night, how long does it take him to fall asleep at night ( the longer it takes to fall asleep means the more tired he really is).  Does he move around alot in his sleep?  does he breath through his nose or his mouth  when sleeping?  does he snore?

Alot of children, it has been proven, who have been diagnosed with ADHD are actually, instead, suffering from sleep disorders - either a sleep apnea or a true sleep disorder brought on by Restless Leg Syndrome (caused by protein/iron deficiencies) , or allergies etc.

if you think he has a sleep issue possibly you should have him undergo a pediatric sleep study.

I hope this has helped, I experienced this with my son when he was 5 - he is now just 7 and so relaxed!  Again, your son may have adhd but i think its best to try other alternatives first?