ParentDishhttp://www.parentdish.comParentDishhttp://www.parentdish.com/media/feedlogo.gifParentDishhttp://www.parentdish.comen-usCopyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/How to Recognize ADHD Symptoms Before School Startshttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/07/26/how-to-adhd-symptoms-before-school-starts/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/07/26/how-to-adhd-symptoms-before-school-starts/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/07/26/how-to-adhd-symptoms-before-school-starts/#commentsFiled under:

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ADHD has become the catch all term for what is actually three similar disorders, each with different symptoms: inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness, and a combination of the two. My 17-year-old son suffers with the inattentive symptoms and the signs were there at least as far back as age of 8.

His doctor has told me that in some children the symptoms are apparent as early as infancy. While I freely admit I was in denial for many years when it came to my son's condition, I honestly don't remember any ADHD concerns during his infant years.

Reading the signals for ADHD can sometimes be difficult because many otherwise healthy children at times will show signs of inattentiveness, hyperactivity or impulsiveness. I have a second child who just turned 13 and her mood can change with the weather. On some days she can stay on Facebook or use Skype to talk to her friends for hours, but if I ask her about her chores I get the feeling she spent the five minutes prior to my arrival doing just enough to avoid attention.

I don't have much first-hand experience with hyperactivity, but our family pediatrician says that young children have natural energy highs and lows depending on things like environment, mood and diet.

Signs of hyperactive and impulsive behavior. A child who fidgets or squirms constantly with no discernable change in environment is generally thought to be exhibiting a classic symptom of ADHD. Other signs to watch for are if your child's teacher reports that he or she cannot stay seated during class interaction or has issues waiting for his turn. Children who cannot play quietly or tend to talk excessively may also be exhibiting signs of ADHD.

Some signs and symptoms of inattention. A child who often fails to pay close attention to details or makes the same mistakes over again while doing school work or chores may be showing signs of ADHD. My son has been taking out the trash on Sunday night for seven years, and every Sunday I have to remind him to take the trash out.

Another sign I am all too familiar with is the blank stare. It appears he is not listening even when I speak directly to him. My son is easily distracted and quite forgetful, and both are signs for inattentiveness. Some other signs to look for include problems organizing tasks, not finishing homework or frequently losing school supplies.

Richard Jones is from Solon Ohio and is a former writer for AOL Asylum and TNJ.com.

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]]>adhdadhd symptomsrichard jonesTue, 26 Jul 2011 13:00:00 ESTPreventing Bullying: When Does It Start?http://www.parentdish.com/2011/07/25/preventing-bullying-when-does-it-start/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/07/25/preventing-bullying-when-does-it-start/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/07/25/preventing-bullying-when-does-it-start/#commentsFiled under:

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"Mommy!" My 5-year-old tugged at my sleeve. "Are those 'The Bullies!?'" He motioned toward a group of teens in front of the high school.

"Those are just teenagers," I said. "What makes you think they are bullies?"

"We learned about it in school," he replied.

I remembered the school had just held an "anti-bullying assembly." It seemed unremarkable at the time, but I found myself wondering whether it really made sense to teach 5-year-olds about bullying. Like most parents I'd like to do what I can to prevent it, but when does it start?

My son now understood bullies as something akin to the boogie man -- if the boogie man looked like a teenager and hung around in groups on street corners. He also wanted to shoot them. Clearly, this was not the intention of the assembly. But what should I say to him?

Thinking back, I had my first discussion about bullying when I was around the same age. We didn't call it that. My mother and I were just talking about a girl at school.

"She's always copying me!" I complained. "And she picks her nose at nap time and she eats glue."

"What's her name?" my mother asked.

"Cindy."

"Can you think of any reason why Cindy would want to copy you?"

"Because she's a creep?" I ventured.

"Maybe she's jealous of you?"

"Jealous? Of me?"

"Does she have many friends?"

"No."

"Maybe she's lonely?"

I hadn't thought of this.

"I bet she cries herself to sleep."

I pictured Cindy crying herself to sleep. I felt terrible.

I'd like to say that as a result Cindy and I became BFFs. We didn't, but I was more kind to Cindy after that, and I played with her when other kids wouldn't. Looking back, the best thing about my mother's little intervention it was that it was perfectly pitched for a 5-year-old.

That little bit of empathy went a long way. I never forgot it and over the years I stuck up for and befriend many Cindys. When I moved in high school and found myself on the receiving end of the local bullies, it helped me to emerge from that difficult time stronger and more confident than ever. My bullies, I thought, probably cried themselves to sleep.

Flash-forward to the playground. My son exclaims, "Ben is so stupid! He says he has a Lego Pokemon, but they don't even exist!"

"Why do you think he'd say that?" I ask.

"I don't know!"

"Maybe he knows you like Lego and Pokemon and he's trying to make friends?"

"But that's just dumb!"

"Maybe he needs someone to teach him about this stuff. Remember how sad you were last summer before you made friends at camp?"

"Yeah."

"Maybe you could show him your Pokemon game? "

"I guess..."

Childhood is filled with unpleasant encounters and sometimes they get out of hand and become bullying. It's not always easy to for adults to know when the line is crossed, let alone kids. At a very basic level, though, teaching even young children to put themselves in someone else's shoes is an excellent place to start.

Nancy McDermott is a freelance writer and mom of two boys. She blogs at The Parenting Mystique. http://theparentingmystique.com/

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]]>back to schoolbullyingPreventingBullying:WhenDoesItStartNancy McDermottMon, 25 Jul 2011 10:30:00 ESTHow to Communicate With Your Child's Teachershttp://www.parentdish.com/2010/09/09/how-to-communicate-with-your-childs-teachers-dos-and-donts/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/09/09/how-to-communicate-with-your-childs-teachers-dos-and-donts/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/09/09/how-to-communicate-with-your-childs-teachers-dos-and-donts/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

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Do be friendly. Credit: Getty Images


We frequently tell young children to use their words. But parents sometimes need a reminder to use the right words, especially when talking to others about our offspring. Here's ParentDish's guide to what is and is not OK to say to officials at your kid's school.

"Instead of frogs, why not dissect a llama?"

Do express an interest in what your child is studying in class.
Don't use the time to bring up what you think is wrong with the curriculum. Remember, schools plan that stuff way in advance. Demanding that Dostoevsky be added to the reading list once the school year is half over is an exercise in futility. If you are really that concerned about what your children are learning, talk to school officials before the school year starts.

Continue reading How to Communicate With Your Child's Teachers

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]]>back to schoolBackToSchooleducationhumorschoolBrett SingerThu, 09 Sep 2010 10:00:00 EST