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UP / Thumb of Michigan | I had a stepson with ADHD. Our Daughter has it to a lesser degree. In both cases, my wife wanted to go the drug route fix as a last resort, and I'm thankful she did. For both kids, avoiding artificial colors and flavors helped a bunch. Many blame sugar as the trigger, but that didn't seem to set either off more than it does any other kid I guess.
Back to my stepson- ever since he was 3 or 4, he could read food labels. Mainly just looking for artificial colors. He didn't at all like to be hyperactive, was much happier when he wasn't. His issues came in school for the most part. My wife would meet with the teachers and sometimes the principal, and explain that especially during holidays, he just couldn't have any treats other kids were having. Seemed like a simple thing. Then, Halloween comes along. Wife gets a phone call, you have to come to school. Step son had gotten into trouble. First question my wife asked him was if he had anything out of the ordinary to eat. Usually it was yes- teacher had told him one candy or cup cake or something else wouldn't hurt. And it did. Had a principal I knew my entire life get involved the second time. She claimed that if my step son wasn't going to come to school medicated, he wasn't going to be able to attend school. After all, there's no side effects to the medicine at all. Thats when my wife took over the conversation. First of all, all medicines have side effects. Especially Adderall. Secondly, the principal had no authority to decide who got what medication and if what mediation made them eligible to attend school. Lastly, he was not causing any issues until the school staff (who he was supposed to trust) gave him things to eat that my wife had told them he shouldn't have.
I was there for that second meeting, and it did in part go from bad to worse because of my participation. I told her that I remembered her getting her elementary teaching degree. She taught first or second grade. I had no idea how she had advanced to be principal with an education to teach first graders, but here we are. And I also mentioned that I was pretty sure she had absolutely zero education in prescribing any medications or predicting whether there were any side effects or not, and maybe she should get back in her own lane. Hell, they were always surprised by the side effects of red food coloring, and thats not even a prescription medicine. I felt a lot better getting that off my chest, but she kept an extra eye on my step son the entire time he was in elementary school. I did feel bad about that.
I have nothing against teachers. My wife is an RN, and taught CNA classes for over 20 years. My daughter has a teaching degree. I had some teachers that made a pretty profound effect on me. Like anything else, some aren't as effective as they should be.
I know its pretty hard for a lot of people to take RFK Jr seriously- but I believe his campaign against food additives was correct. | |
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Youth & mental issues
