I can't believe how long it's been since I've written here. I really wish I had kept up on AJ's story. I can try to cover that past few years... you wouldn't believe where he is now.
After that post in 2008, we took AJ to a naturopathic doctor. My husband (at the time) and my self were both set against medication for him. I had it set in my head that I wouldn't give him a joint to smoke, so why would I drug him.
We tried some homeopathic remedies that I didn't find to help too much.
By the time AJ was finishing up 3rd grade, he had really gotten out of control. He was still getting in trouble. He didn't have a lot of friends and things for him just seemed to be getting worse.
The summer of 2009 was a tough one for our family. My husband had moved out and we had started the divorce process. Among other things, him and I were not seeing eye to eye on a lot of things when it came to AJ.
AJ started 4th grade in September and things were as awful as ever with him. We talked with his pediatrician and wanted to exhaust every option before we had to start the process towards medication.
We tried changing his diet. we omitted wheat as well as red and blue dyes. (not an easy thing to do) AJ had also started going to a counselor once a week, and he met with a Physiologist for a 5 hour testing. The finding was ADD/ADHD. (duh!)
By the beginning of June 2010 AJ had started his medication.
We had to adjust the mg a few times to get it right, but we noticed the difference right way.
Now throughout 3rd and 4th grades.. his school work and grades weren't horrible. He mostly got B's with some C's and an occasional A.
Summer of 2010 was amazing. AJ wasn't as disruptive and intolerable as he once had been. Sure he still had his moments, but every kids does. The medication wasn't to sedate him. I would never want to take the AJ out of AJ! This kid is funny and smart as a whip. He doesn't miss a trick.
This is the summer he went to camp for the first time too. Sleep away camp for 1 week. He did so well.
AJ entered 5th grade that September and his teacher couldn't believe the difference.
He never really got into trouble. Well, a few minor things but nothing to drastic. His grades started to get better and things just seem to look up for him.
6th grade brought on a new school. AJ adjusted well to the change and 6th grade was pretty uneventful for him.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Meet Andrew
My son Andrew. He's my second born and my only son. He's also the first child my husband and I had together. 3rd in birth order of our slew of children.
Andrew has been active since the day he was born. Ok... well maybe not since the day he was born, but from the as long as I can remember. Or since he started walking... ahhh.... crawling.... yep since as long as I can remember.
Dealing with him, as active has he is, is just a way of life. You learn to deal with it. You learn which days you can take him to a store and which days you can't. You learn to pick you battles and to adjust to the way he is.
Looking in from the outside, its easy for someone to say "he needs discipline" or "I wouldn't let him do that" its always easy for people to judge when its not them or when they're not there 24/7.
I've always thought of him as ADD. He's never been tested though. I can't see putting him through that just for them to say, "yep, you were right, its ADD". Makes not sense.
For us, medication is out of the question. I can't see giving drugs to a little boy just to chill him out or to make it easier to deal with him.
This past September Andrew, who's 8 1/2 started 3rd grade. Within the first month of school, I had several calls from his teacher and several from the dean (the guy who does the discipline at this school). Things weren't looking good. He was in trouble all the time. He was being disruptive and putting his hands on his peers... something he had never done before.
Since he's been in school, he's showed to be and excellent student. Even know, he's exceptional in math and a good reader...if he had been getting grades for the past 3 years, I wouldn't doubt that they would all be A's and B's....academicly.
So here we are, Andrews out of control. He's yelling at me. He's getting mad at himself, he's getting in major trouble at school. Something has to give. Medication is out. We have to do something. Things are NOT working like they are. We need to make changes and soon!
Changes we did make! I'll write about changes soon. Right now I need a break and my wonderful son need to get his little butt to bed. :)
-Kapechick
Andrew has been active since the day he was born. Ok... well maybe not since the day he was born, but from the as long as I can remember. Or since he started walking... ahhh.... crawling.... yep since as long as I can remember.
Dealing with him, as active has he is, is just a way of life. You learn to deal with it. You learn which days you can take him to a store and which days you can't. You learn to pick you battles and to adjust to the way he is.
Looking in from the outside, its easy for someone to say "he needs discipline" or "I wouldn't let him do that" its always easy for people to judge when its not them or when they're not there 24/7.
I've always thought of him as ADD. He's never been tested though. I can't see putting him through that just for them to say, "yep, you were right, its ADD". Makes not sense.
For us, medication is out of the question. I can't see giving drugs to a little boy just to chill him out or to make it easier to deal with him.
This past September Andrew, who's 8 1/2 started 3rd grade. Within the first month of school, I had several calls from his teacher and several from the dean (the guy who does the discipline at this school). Things weren't looking good. He was in trouble all the time. He was being disruptive and putting his hands on his peers... something he had never done before.
Since he's been in school, he's showed to be and excellent student. Even know, he's exceptional in math and a good reader...if he had been getting grades for the past 3 years, I wouldn't doubt that they would all be A's and B's....academicly.
So here we are, Andrews out of control. He's yelling at me. He's getting mad at himself, he's getting in major trouble at school. Something has to give. Medication is out. We have to do something. Things are NOT working like they are. We need to make changes and soon!
Changes we did make! I'll write about changes soon. Right now I need a break and my wonderful son need to get his little butt to bed. :)
-Kapechick
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