Hi! I went back and read your original email. All I can say is Wow....you deserve a medal!!!!! Having 3 boys who are active is a handful, to say the least.
I only have one 7 yo with ADHD and I am super stressed. Mine only has been on meds 2 weeks. I have to say that initially we didn't want to put him on meds, then we did...& what a difference. That was the best decision.
Anyways...you are not alone and seriously, keep up all the good work.
My other post was too long so in a nut shell, The other night in my huge 1st post that was too long for anyone too read--I was very stressed and frustrated. I am tired of being criticized for giving my adhd child meds. We just changed his dose and he is emotional,I have to wait 2 wks for that to tone down but everyone keeps says "see what the meds do to him its not good"-A side affect of Straterra when doses' change is getting more emotional while the body adjusts-but NOO one understands that! I have 3 boys ages 4 and 5 and a seven yr old. All hyper, I am usually a calm person but in the last few yrs I am sooo much more stressed. I need to relax but its hard when ur kids are 100 miles a hr ALL the time. Doing the best I can but man are some days hard, I know in a few weeks it will settle down but the end of the tunnel is looking soo far away. Hope this was easier too read and not too long, thx-Mattys MommyMy husband is super active athough I say he is adhd he never would. Thank you Nadine for reading the original post. I know it was long but I was trying to give detail and also vent a little as well. It is very hard and there are days that I swear seem like they will never end. Matt turns 6 on x-mas and I feel like he should be turning 12 cause its been such a long road.I think it would be easier to deal with the adhd alone but they fight and bicker constantly on top of it. I figure its cause they r soo close in age and always trying to find a place for themselves,BUT OMG!! Patience is hard sometimes and everyone loves to give criticism.Like I am doing such a horrible job. I get sooo tired of it. My favorite tactic is distraction, distraction distraction. When I see the fighting or tantrum coming I try to head it off. I wish there was more support outthere.All I do do is work and be home with the kids,sometimes I am so worn out and dying for validation that I am doing ok or a little understanding and conversation from someone who goes thru it too. I don't know anyone in town that has a adhd child. Anyway thanks for your kind words. Its hard no matter how many kids you have- 1 or 3. Adhd keeps you running. Mattys MommyOh and I agree when its right meds are a huge help. My seven yr old is on adderall and from day 1 is has been amazing. Matts on staterra and its better but not as good as Id like but still 70% better.He cant take the other meds cause he gets ticks and can't sleep till midnight,he has sleeping probs already so those just arent good. Thx~~~Mattys mommyNever feel bad when you make a decision to help your child (Like whether to give meds or not). The people that complain or criticize you for giving meds would be the first to complain about anything. They'll say your not strict enough with your kids, or your too hard on them. Or they'll blame their diet or tell you to make sure the kids get more exercise. I call these folks the Know-Nothing-Know-it-Alls.
These are the people I can't stand the most. They have no real answers or knowledge but they think they know how to do or handle everything better then everyone else. I have a few relatives like this and I've told them about my Know-Nothing-Know-It-All Theory.
Like my mother who has to be right about everything. I've told her that I wouldn't be surprised if she drove down to NASA and started telling the astronauts how to land on the moon. She's never studied physics, astrology or anything related to space travel and certainly never landed on the moon but that wouldn't stop her from telling them what they are doing wrong. At the very most she has probably read an article or two and has dubbed herself an expert in the field.
Now whenever she starts getting preachy I just mention the astronaut example and she rolls her eyes and drops the topic. It doesn't work everytime but it has cut down on a lot of the pointless criticizing.
Good post, MafiaKiddo!