Tag Archives: hyperactivity

Ten Ways to Help Your Child With ADHD Succeed in School

Children with ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) are often extremely frustrated in a classroom setting. They cannot keep focused on their work, and drift into daydreams and wandering thoughts. They have a difficult time sitting still for long periods of time. They tend to be impulsive and reactionary, not taking the time to consider a response before giving it. They might blurt out answers, pester other students, noisily kick their chairs, or sit aimlessly staring off into space. Teachers often get irritated and repeatedly scold these kids. They are painted as the class troublemakers or the “slow learners.” Pursuing Adaptations for … Continue reading →

Reclaiming your place in the world (1)

Compared to our parents and grandparents, most of us live in an overwhelmingly synthetic environment and our bodies struggle to maintain our connectedness with the natural world around us. We drive where our parents would once have walked, we live in apartments hundreds of feet above ground level, we breath air-conditioned air, we seldom feel earth beneath our feet. Our bodies are highly adaptive instruments but they are not infinitely adaptive. There comes a point in time when the lack of fresh air, the lack of connectedness with the earth, the absence of natural substances all combine to make us … Continue reading →

Dads That Breastfeed: A Manly Man’s Perspective

My husband is the ultimate jock type guy. He played competitive soccer when he was younger and less, (as he puts it), decrepit. He plays fantasy football. He follows all the games on ESPN. He even follows “foreign” sports like cricket, polo and soccer. The guy teaches sports to other little future jocks for a living. Yes, he is a manly man, burly and muscle-y and all that. When I got pregnant with our first child, he wouldn’t even walk into the maternity store with me–because he thought it was gross. He was absolutely horrified to see bras that had … Continue reading →

The Power of Fatherhood

Sure, they rake in millions at the box office; have women throw their underwear at them on stage; and are given the royal treatment because they are household names. But when it comes down to what their most important role in life is, most male celebrities say it is being a dad. This week I have been struck by how many popular male “stars” have spoken out about fatherhood and the joys that come with the “blessing” of being a parent. Just a few days ago Matt Lauer announced that he and wife Annette are expecting their third child. The … Continue reading →

Postpartum Depression Hits Dads, Too?

A new study has found that postpartum depression isn’t just a problem for mothers! A recent study that followed more than five thousand new parents found that about fourteen percent of mothers and ten percent of fathers showed signs of depression. According to the study leader, a professor from the Eastern Virginia Medical School Center for Pediatric Research, this is the first nation-wide look at postpartum depression. Smaller studies have found similar results — that fathers, too, may succumb to moderate or severe postpartum depression — but this is the largest study to date. The study found that both basic … Continue reading →

Six Ways to Deal With a Hyperactive Child

Children with ADHD, Autism, or various neurological disorders often have frustrating bouts of hyperactivity. Some children have such high energy levels mixed with defiance or impulsivity that they can’t focus properly at school or maintain friendships. I’m convinced that these kids can benefit enormously from medication. (Read my blog, “ADHD and the Maddening Missing Meds.” ) But some children may not require medication, and only need some parental guidance to regain control. Here are six ways you can help a hyperactive child: 1. Channel the energy. A child with endless amounts of energy, who is bounding up and down the … Continue reading →

Dads in the Delivery Room

In the 1970s, Paul Anka released: You’re Having My Baby and that was a seminal moment in the realm of babies and having babies for mothers and fathers everywhere. You know the iconic images of when mothers gave birth the father’s job was to pace the halls nervously and pass out the cigars when the nurse comes out to announce the birth. Modern Day Fatherhood The modern day concept of fatherhood involves dads being in the delivery room and on hand for the arrival of their new baby. My husband used to say he wouldn’t be in the delivery room … Continue reading →

Daddy Time

Just about every study done on bonding and attachment seems focused on moms and their children. Few researchers have taken a look at the father-child attachment issues, but there are some findings that shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. The fact is that the father-child bond is as important as the mother-child bond. Da Da The more actively involved a father is the higher the score of six month olds on motor and mental development tests. For babies who have their daddy handling the most mundane of daily activities including feeding, giving baths, dressing and changing diapers handle stressful … Continue reading →

A Date with Dad

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My oldest and I have taken many a date together, and they are always very special. We didn’t really start calling them dates until around the time our youngest was born, though obviously we spent quite a bit of time together when my wife was working (we did our best to coordinate our schedules so that one of us was “home”). We found it a way of making my time with her just a little extra fun, and that way maybe she’d not notice that her baby sister was getting one-on-one time with her mom. (Sharing is still not easy!) … Continue reading →

“LADY, get control of your KID!”

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Those of us with behaviorally disordered kids get them all the time: Stares. Glares. Looks of indignation. Eye rolls. Huffs. Puffs. Expressions that say, “Lady, get control of your kid!” So this blog is dedicated to those people who shoot the looks of disapproval. Dear shoppers on the run, strangers waiting in line, and cashiers at the counter, It may look like I have failed miserably at raising a well-behaved child. He appears to be an ordinary kid who somehow turned into a monster from bad parenting. And maybe he is irritating you. Maybe you’re annoyed beyond belief at my … Continue reading →