Yes, I give my child medication

I give my child medicine for ADHD. 

Yep, I’m one of those terrible parents.  I get calls from the school daily, I pay no attention to what he is doing, I let him eat nothing but sugar daily, I have no idea how to discipline, and if I do I’m too lazy to do it, I encourage him to play video games 24/7 and never play outside, I just need to let him run around, I don’t understand what normal boy behavior is, I am some kind of sucker of the government who I’m letting experiment on my child.

Or so most of you would tell me.

In reality, I have a little boy who told his neurologist yesterday he thinks he might need more medicine because he is “having trouble in my head.”  One who is more brilliant than a lot of people realize, but is failing school.  One who was OK with me asking for a referral to a psychologist so he could have someone to talk to about “not feeling normal.”  One who will suddenly yell at me or throw things at me or even destroy stuff, and then minutes later be crying and apologizing.

Yes, most of you will never see that in him.  Why?  Because he fights HARD all day to get through his feelings.  The feelings that he unleashes at his mom because that is who he feels most comfortable with.  Recently, he had a huge meltdown while at his father’s house.  A meltdown usually held back there.  A meltdown his dad had to call me about to even know how to deal with it.  But it was a meltdown that FINALLY made his dad understand.  And a meltdown that actually made me happy that he finally, after 11 years of life, is OK with doing in front of his father.

Kids with ADHD, they are expecting punishment, not understanding.  The ones that hold it together in school or social situations, well, when they get home it is much worse than those who just express those frustrations all the time.  They KNOW what they are doing they should not be, they lack impulse control, and they STRUGGLE to keep it together.  When they feel safe to “let go”, well, they do!  And lucky you, you don’t see it. 

I give my child medication because it helps him focus.  Helps him sleep a normal sleep pattern.  Makes him feel  more like a regular kid.  Helps him to concentrate in school.  Helps him to “reset”, as we call it, when he gets caught up in arguing or feeling down or can’t shake off the negative thoughts.

And for you thinking I drug my kid, do you drink coffee or caffienated sodas? 

Caffiene, it helps my child focus, calm down, and sleep.  The same way the “dangerous stimulant” meds do.  The same way it helps you wake up in the morning..  OK for you....

I give my child medication for ADHD.  And tomorrow, we’re starting a higher dosage at my son’s request to his doctor. 

That’s the way it is.  Get over it.  I’d tell you , that’s why there is wine, but....if you can’t accept that, nothing I can do.