Schedule, keeps them focused and they feel in control. Let them find there was to be organized for school…our way doesn’t work for them
So here’s the thing, I was pro anti medication and continued to tell myself my son doesn’t need it. Until I saw he was about to flunk second grade. We started him on his meds snd he is a about to go to 8th grade on his third grade of advanced/honors classes. Medication is not there to hinder them, it is a tool to help them focus. We all use tools in life and adhd requires having a tool to be successful in life.
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My son is now 13, we have a good routine and we try to avoid food that will set him off, when in very stimulating environments I have to tell him to breath, bring it down to his knees and push it out.
I try when it’s the school holidays to get him outside as much as possible to run around and walk it all off.
Coffee calms my grandson.
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My daughter explained what it was like for her to be on medication- its like I’m can be the best version of myself. As good as I get.
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My son is on meds and for us it was one of the best decisions we’ve made. He can control himself and focus. His grades have improved so much. We also use fish and krill oil supplements, watch red dye 40 (huge trigger for him), and try to stick to a routine because he’s his best with structure which is harder for him during the summer without school
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Look into neurofeedback therapy!!!
My daughter hasn’t been on ADD “meds” in a looooooong time. They messed with her to much and she couldn’t handle it.
Structure, routine, diet learn! Stay away from added sugars. Learn what distracts and how to avoid distractions was key. we went to a place that specializes in teaching kids with ADD/ADHD how to manage it/ live with it. Techniques on focusing. Etc. It was the most help! They also did an evaluation and broke down everything, like where they needed the most help etc.
We also looked into natural things that help focus and it helped as well. Not everything works for every one but we figured out a good balance for us
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Have to keep them busy w chores , activities
My 5 year old is Adhd and not medicated, takes a lot of patience to get through our days. But with a good diet he seems to do well. We try to limit artificial sugars and red dyes from his diet and it helps. I also use calming essential oils in our diffuser daily and try to keep a regular schedule for him and keep him as active and busy as possible. We try to do things that exerts his energy also like jumping on his trampoline for a while, going to a park or somewhere he can run and get energy out, long walks.
I do. And I just let them be kids
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I’ve never thought of coffee, but it kind of makes sense since majority, if not all, of ADHD meds are stimulants. Wonder what the long term effects will be though. 
As a middle school teacher, my recommendation is to do what is best for the child. We spend enough time with our students to be able to tell children who would benefit from meds. Talk with your pediatrician. There is a form that you and his teachers can fill out that will help determine if meds are the right choice.
Additionally, if you go that route meds HAVE to be changed/increased based on your child’s growth & metabolism. You may also have to try a few different meds before you find the best one. If/when you do this, please let his teachers know so they can note any changes (whether it’s working or not, change in behavior, eating, etc.).
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Just remember, being a child is NOT a mental illness. Try, just for 30 days to praise your child. Make a point to praise them every time they do good. Bite your lip when you see something you don’t like. It’s hard as hell. Common sense will dictate when you really have to step in. Instead of yelling at that for being mean to their little sister, point out how nice they were. 30 days! You might surprise yourself…you just might be the meanie
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How do you know when they have ADHD?
My 13 year old son has a coffee every morning instead of medication and it’s working better than the medication ever did 
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Eliminating processed foods may help.
My oldest is ADHD and on the spectrum he needed medications. He doesn’t like not having them and got he feels without my youngest, is more ADD but a little ADHD too. But, not so much he needs medication. I let him drink coffee. He likes it. Oldest doesn’t lol. My youngest, he’s not of not wanting to pay attention type. And just hyper little boy thou lol but coffee does calm him a little.
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I took in my stepson who was too much for his mother and grandmother to handle, even on resperidone and methylphindate.
I weaned him off both drugs and began in home (designed by me) ABA therapy.
My ABT approach focuses on conditioning using positive reinforcements and negative reinforcements with positive outcomes (endurance punishments which build character, confidence, and physical strength; homework assignments; and chores) and long and short term rewards that focus on making choices and learning to budget. All this is combined with positive parenting, coaching, and military style coaching and drilling.
It sounds like a lot when written down, but it works if you don’t waver. Also… you need plenty of patience.
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My kid is now 18 no meds . Graduated in time . Basically , listen to your kid . Let them have moments of break downs . We had a lot of work . But since I also have severe ADHD. I understand him better . He didn’t have perfect attendance because he needed some personal days .
We had to always stay on top of his work and communicate with the teachers . At home
he was fine . Had fun , played all day but when it came to school or anything that he doesn’t like . Forget it lol 
Just raise them to do their best and let them know that it’s ok to feel crazy and energetic but actions have consequences and they can be good or bad . The decision is up to you . Amd he learned
Just the other day my kiddo thanked me For not medicating him and that he feels awesome
Knowing how to handle himself and that he is thankful to know how to deal with his energy levels without the meds . Good luck . ADHD kids are the best with the right tools .
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No my son is 14 and has ADHD diagnosed at 5 and doesn’t want to be off his medicine, he doesn’t like how he acts without it, he says he can’t focus, he’s rude to his friends, no impulse control(went one day last year at school and literally made a paper airplane out of his work and threw it to his teacher from his desk, kept interrupting the classroom, his teacher asked what was going on, got kicked out of karate because he wouldn’t stand with the other kids). He’s been on (concerta) medication since he was 6. We tried no meds and nothing seemed to work. Impulsive, “crawling the walls”, bathroom accidents, couldn’t sit still. Now he has ADHD badly so idk if someone that has mild symptoms does without medication.but I wish he could be without it but for him it’s unlikely, he knows he needs it. Best of luck to your family! Coffee does seem to help. Also at night lemon balm tea calms him a lot too…
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Caffeine in the morning and avoid over stimulation like too much tv and cideo games
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Bobbie White Hepker interesting
doTERRA oils work wonders
I was this child. Please get them the medication they need. I struggled so much until I was an adult and I could ask for it myself. It made a huge difference in my life, and I wasn’t the only one who noticed.
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You need to teach breathing and restraint I did what is called bubble exercises if he did them rt he got 20 extra minutes tv time I did not medicate mine becouse there is no longer term test what meds do to child and 3 if my cousins had brain tumors all in adhd meds the exercises taught him control he is a mechanical engineer now
I just wanted to mention that caffeine doesn’t have the same effect on ALL ADHD children, just like certain medicines don’t.
My stepson happens to be one of the few with ADHD that will literally climb up the walls if he has caffeine.
My ADHD is calmed with it though.
Everyone in my household has ADHD.
Me. My husband. Both kiddos.
I’m going to level with you here:
My oldest is medicated. His adhd is combined type and SEVERE. He was literally running into walls. It was dangerous to take him to the store. We had serious issues with elopement (he believed he was playing a game) and we could NOT get him to understand the danger or stop. The day we saw the doctor his attention rate was about 30 seconds. We’d tried all the “natural” things and they didn’t help enough.
If your child’s ADHD is this severe you may be doing them a disservice by refusing to medicate or even consider medication.
On that note. My husband treats his adhd with CBD.
I treat mine with coffee.
My youngest kiddo… he’s unofficially diagnosed because he’s only 3. Chocolate covered espresso beans are magic for him.
So…there are definitely things to try…
omitting artificial dyes (particularly red dye and Carmel color).
A good multivitamin with B12 and omegas
Lots and lots of physical exercise/“heavy” work/large scale muscle movement
detailed lists of things you want/need him to do. Like step by step.
Caffeine. I’d recommend caffented water, coffee, or chocolate covered espresso beans. Energy drinks and sodas have artificial coloring in them that can counteract the caffeine.
extra protien
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Caffeine coca cola or coffee, Keep them busy with different activities, set aside special times in about 30 minute intervals for high energy activities like little mini races inside or outside, find an activity like Legos or puzzles just anything that he really gets into.
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Caffeine helps counteract the hyper activity in kids and adults with adhd
I see a lot of people are recommending caffeine, and for some it works, however my son is adhd combined type and severe at that. Really it’s any type of stimulant you can give them, it’s supposed to have the opposite effect on them, but it didn’t work with my son. We also tried the breathe, restraint technique and nothing. When he hit school, it was so bad he missed over 250hrs of school between 1st and 2nd grades because he kept being removed for his behavior ( leaving classrooms, disappearing all together, you name it he did it, all relating to his adhd ) finally I. Second grade we tried medication. And truly it was the best thing I’ve ever done for him. He is able to hang out with the other kids and actually interact rather than just running about daily. He chooses to take his meds at this point. Just wanted to leave this so if you try all these remedies and nothing works, you know your not alone.
I am an ADHD adult now, I was medicated when I was diagnosed at 11 and was literally a walking zombie and no emotion 
my mom took my off and haven’t taken anything for it since!!
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I have the meds and haven’t given them in about a year. It is HARD on him and me sometimes. The meds work really well but i hate giving them. A really strict schedule works for us best.
So the thing is kids with hdhd are naturally hyper so I have found with my son that if I give him something that would normally make other kids hyper it calms him down he is 2, but he is also mildly autistic so it’s going to be different for every kid. But I dont like pills and I’m not going to force my baby to take them
I personally tried a lot of different things because I didnt like the idea of medicating my son he was young when he was diagnosed. So I tried taking away red eyes I tried changing his diet…with my son it didnt work. One night my son was crying telling me his brain was going to fast😓 that’s when I decided he really needed the medication because nothing else was working. Hes doing much better in school and has told me since things have “slowed down” for him. He is so much happier too.
I really understand where you were coming from. I fought it for so long oh, I did not want my son a medicated zombie. He was very young when he was diagnosed. He got so bad that it was really interfering with his school and with other students School. Then when I first got him on medication I only did it during the week and on the weekends I did not give him his medicine, because I could handle it. But what I found out was how much better it made my son’s life. I’m not pushing anybody to get their kid on the medication I’m just saying that it helped our family. There are so many really good medications out there that can help. You just have to do what’s best for your child and your family. Good luck to you oh, It’s A Hard Road that a lot of people don’t understand.
My 8yr old is ADHD and isn’t medicated. Her dr told me to give her coffee-it’s stimulant (like adhd meds) so it interacts with her brain chemistry differently than others. Also, lots of arts and crafts to keep her busy. She also has a chores board so she knows what is expected of her to get done every day. I know it’s hard but keep being patient and remember it’s just as frustrating for the kiddos as it is for you.
I cut all sugar out of my son’s life and that worked for him
Since doctors say they can’t give my son anything until he is 5 and in kindergarten at least a. Month. We do a lot of redirection and try to keep him busy. Also we try to not give him a lot of sugar. But that’s hard seeings how almost everything has it in. He also has disrupted defiant disorder. So we try not to let his anger get the best of him. Also it seems if we talk to him and ask him if he is angry or sad that sometimes helps also. But we have to get him to talk slower at times because he also has a speech issue yet. If he gets upset or excited he will start to talk really fast or just ramble.
We also try to stay away from the red dye that is in like juice or Gatorade.
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I never had my kids tested, but I’m pretty sure my almost 7 year old does. He’s very hyper, my brothers were like that, none of them medicated and were fine when they got older. I will not give my kids meds for that. My niece was put on meds for it and was like a zombie, they eventually took her off if it and she’s never been the same. She’s super depressed till this day. So yeah, not giving my kids anything.
Both of my kids have adhd . My daughter chose to top medication and my son hasn’t seen a psychiatrist yet to get started. It is exhausting
Mine isn’t getting it right now cause of summer. It’s a fight to get her to eat first so we just don’t mess with it till school starts back.
I do still give her coffee with just a LITTLE sugar or no sugar but extra flavored creamer (she’s almost 6)
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But ROUTINE. Transitions (in10 min we are going to start the bath, in 5 min we start the bath, in 2 min we start the bath)
mine son is 16 now but at 6 yr to 8 yrs he was on medication gmfor severe adhd only because the school he was at couldnt handle him they said its like doing back flips everywhere with him so being hold back 2 times in first grade and by 5th grade him not being able to write read or say his abc . The day i got fed up n took him off his meds without his dr concent after time n time telling his phych dr n reg dr that what he does which is nothing like a damm… zombie to make his teacher happy in depresion he cry for no reason i could get him to eat he was skinny i would give food he qould cry n say he wasnt hungry i would ask why u crying he said idk why. It hurted me also seeing him like this n his dr ignore him… i met a teacher talk with the school and told them his new teacher look at him told me take him off i will teach him he will sit next to me i will help him. That the beat thing i dont to my son his teacher told me adhd is hyper they get bored they are very smart their mind moving triple he said i see him start to get up n start to walk around i change his activity soon he gets bored i keep change it . That same yr he learn how to write read he won a reward for eriting a 5 page essay in the state .yes he still hyper i rather have him like this than how he was he a 6ft tall 200lb boy now . He also open the eyes and became an example for other schools when i was told he will never learn he does have 7 different diagnoses also
Me! He chose to stop his meds this year when he turned 13. He is attending a virtual.academy and excelling in this environment.
Yes, lots and lots of attention and things to keep him busy and mind going
My daughter has severe ADHD. We have tried medications that all did not work for her.
We cut sugar out.
We removed red dye and blue dye for her diet.
We allow 1 cup of coffee with honey and milk in the morning. (Doctor recommended)
She gets plenty of exercise
She has access to bounce balls she can sit on to get energy out. She has fidget toys to keep her hands occupied. We got a compression vest that she used for a few months then lost interest in it.
Coffee helped my daughter. As she turned of legal age she also smokes a little thc to calm down her brain
I have ADHD since middle school. What doctors recommended for me before the medication route was sugar free and turkey diet
Why would you make your child suffer? Speaking as someone who grew up with unmanaged ADD, it was horrific. School was a nightmare. Learning and focusing doesn’t happen.
Get away from the stigma of “omg I’m not giving MY child DRUGS!” And do it! You just have no idea…
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Once you figure it out without meds let me know lol. But my boy is on meds. It’s still a pain to deal with.
I let him do his thing and then I check back of he’s calm we play if he’s still mad I leave him check back in.
Or I give a drop of coffee too mellow Major
Complete change of diet
Remove red 40 dye from all foods
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There are medication options that help that are non-stimulants. Talk with your doctor.
My son is not medicated. He has ADHD
Like said above, Red dye foods. It’s been found to cause children to act like have adhd even when they don’t. If that doesn’t work, I’ve had a lot of friends with adhd that just use coffee.
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Change their diet. Cut out sugars and processed foods.
My son wasn’t medicated for sooo long due to the fact no one would diagnose him or medicate him. Life was terrible!!! 
Of course he has no control over his actions if not on medication but omg life is too hard without it, as well as him suffering at school and the impact on my other children
Find lots of hand on thaings for them to do and maybe sports outside are okay stuff
My son has adhd but he’s not hyper like overly. He is a normal boy hyper that isnt bad. His main issue is in school where he can’t focus. So we do medication during the school year and off during the summer months and weekends. That way he’s maintaining his weight and still having fun.
My daughter is 10 tho she is medicated it’s nothing major. She’s on intunive (if I spelled that correctly)
It doesn’t change who she is just kinda calms her down a tad bit. And I’m suppose to give her melatonin at night time to help her sleep
Mine is 13 and has only been on medication for a total of 6 months since he was diagnosed and he has ODD and anxiety also
Scheduling and routine is a big help. As a mom with ADHD and a little one suspected of ADHD, schedules and routines are good for us. Helps keep us on track.
School is hard, I tend to procrastinate until the day of a deadline so I set my own hard deadlines (with rewards) to keep which are earlier than class deadlines. I’ve been fighting to get help for my little one in class but I have a private tutor that’s doing one on one work with my little one and it’s going very well, we’re catching up to their required grade level expectations.
If u don’t want meds try cbd oil all natural and a lot safer then pills that can cause heart issues in the long run
Behavioral therapy and lots and lots of patience.
My mother put me in sports and let me run lots and we are fairly healthy but most of all stay away from processed food as much as you can. Have patience when explaining things and understand if your child moves a lot it’s normal.
Way to many years of prison thank’s for understanding.
2 medicated 1 not because his anxiety mimics ADHD and has had bad reactions to pills because he’s not ADHD. Half a shot size of coffee for older ones(the pre teens only), and lots of sports activities for all of ours. Fiancé daughter will have a milk drowned coffee with me after i get off work which also helps her body calm down to sleep plus it’s bonding time for us when rest of kids sleeping. Calm Kid chewables (all natural, for the 10yr old) works AMAZING for him at school
My son isn’t on medication they want to do therapy first but its not easy I try to keep my son busy and well in school his okay just gets bully alot cause of his ADHD. We play football alot and he had a new toy that helps him out alot its some kind of popper toy
My daughter has ADHD and anxiety 
she doesn’t take meds.
Although we have the option if needed.
Raquel this is interesting. Has he ever had coffee?
We do occupational therapy along with herbal supplements!
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My kiddo was diagnosed in kindergarten with ADD, a general anxiety disorder & a communication disorder. His pediatrician referred us to a psychologist to do the testing. After diagnosis, I didn’t want him on medication so young. So we decided to do therapy. It helped him so much. By our last session (he wouldn’t go in without me but I wasn’t allowed to participate), she said he was a whole new kid!!
We made it about half way through his 3rd grade year of school and the teacher called to discuss him. She said maybe it’s time to try medication, he couldn’t sit with the rest of the class because he would be disruptive & that broke her heart. I knew it would happen eventually, I took it myself. So we tried it and it was amazing!!! She said he was still his silly self, still ate, but could focus! His grades and handwriting improved drastically!
Then covid hit things were nuts.
He only takes the medicine for school. Not on weekends and not right now during the summer.
In the end, you do what you think is best. I don’t regret my decision & going back to therapy will always be an option
What helps me is I am medicated! 
just joking but honestly we tried multiple medications which all made him sick if he did not take it. Basically it caused his body to produce excess stomach acid and he would have severe heartburn and he would vomit after doing this for a year he had to have an upper GI and his esophagus just couldn’t take it anymor (he took it Monday-Friday but not on weekends) and I didn’t want feel it was necessary to have my small child at the time go through that so we stopped taking it altogether. We eventually found a product called spark by advocare and that is how he dealt with it into his early teens then he decided he wasn’t a baby anymore and he didn’t want to drink his special drink in the morning anymore. He is now almost 2 months shy of 18 and still struggles but he loves to fish so when he’s really having a hard time he is able to focus his energy and calm everything down being by himself casting a line in peace and quiet. I moved to the lake for this reason 6 years ago so he could walk outside and fish. But the key I believe is finding something that they enjoy where they can calm themselves down and focus their energy positively. My youngest son also has ADHD he’s 8 and his peace is going on nature walks to find cool rocks he calls them adventures.
Stimulate them. They get bored, they have a harder time focusing and mine would tend to misbehave. I cannot stress this enough, limit screen time!
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I just got papers 2 fill out as well as papers 4 the teachers 2 fill out 2 test my child for adhd. Shes everywhere often, never sits down, talks from the time she gets up 2 the time she goes 2 bed, no focus on anything especially If she dont want 2 do it, and doesnt listen when told 2 do anything. I chalk some things up 2 just being a kid but going off some of the questions I answered she definitely has adhd. 2 answer ur question in short I often have 2 remind my kid of things shes learned or needs 2 learn 2 sit down and focus on things shes asked 2 do. It’s really frustrating 2 constantly have 2 stay on top of her 2 get anything done but it’s also sometimes a big help her often being under feet. Find things 2 distract them or put them in some kind of sport they like. Stay on top of them when doing things they dont want 2 because they won’t at all focus on anything if they dont want 2. Keep 8n mind some of the behaviors might come from their age. mines 6 with a big personality. But defiantly on a more hyper active side of things.
My son is ADHD. When puberty started, the meds worked against him. So he took himself off his meds, controlled his diet, (no red food dye, no caffeine, no chocolate, no sugar). He himself told me that he felt better and did great. He graduated with honors on time. His doctor who “supposedly” was an expert with kids with ADD and ADHD told us he was severely ADHD. He has a successful career with both jobs that he had and has now.
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Not my child, but myself as a child… my mother didn’t want me on meds and instead focused on behavioral tools like keeping a routine schedule, lists, reward systems and just overall predictable days for kids the struggle with ADHD. I was able to apply the same tools as an adult and it helped get me through college as well. Write things down! Keep them on the wall in front of them. Stick to the routines.
I was never put on medicine & school was absolute Hell. I put myself on it as an adult & could tell a huge difference. My mom felt bad for not putting me on it when I was younger.
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Strict diet, no artificial dyes, limited processed foods, no added sugar, a lot of hard endurance exercise (mine does MMA), a lot of outside play, and teaching them accountability and strict routine
Medication helps my child, and play therapy
Honestly I cut all dyes out of my daughters diet and did positive reinforcement with prizes to help her. I noticed a huge difference in her when not on dyes to when her dad had her and gave her anything. It seems hard but it is really easy to cut out dyes and still eat normally. Just look into how dyes affect people with ADHD.
My daughter was diagnosed this past year, in 3rd grade. No medication, just a very good IEP plan and the teachers at her school are phenomenal. She’s done so much better since the IEP has been implemented.
Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. Anyone have a child with ADHD that is not medicated?
We do not medicate our almost 12 year old. We use cell salts, oils, vitamins & eliminate certain dyes.
Stimulants, such as caffeine, work for some.
My son is old enough to understand his diagnosis so we talk things out a lot with him and he understands when he needs to chill and will say such.
Now, I will say we were opposed to medicating because honestly he’s not bad and the Pediatric hospitalist who diagnosed him agreed along with his teacher and school principal.
So we were fully supported in our decision to not medicate.
Alot of patients. And I had my child in therapy to find coping techniques
Along with diet, routines are important. Possibly make a check list, chore board, goals, etc… for them to see and work towards.
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I have herd that they change their diet. Mine is 4 and I feel like he is adhd but not sure. Doc wants to wait till school and we will go from there. Good luck though.
Diet changes are all helpful. Also lavender. We used lavender oil on the shirt and on the pillow. Flax seed oil as a supplement, and melatonin at bed time as part of the routine. (Mine didn’t sleep - he was exhausted but couldn’t sleep.)
I took my kid to a Bio Chemist. He eliminated dairy products and chocolate plus increased minerals (that my child was deficient in). He also advised to give my kid a protein shake at bedtime. My kid was a different kid 4 months later… no medication needed. My child was 6 back then, soon will turn 21 and NEVER used ADHD meds! I recommend you find a biochemist.
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Watch msg,red dyes,sugar and melatonin to help regulate sleep cycle and lots of consideration
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I myself have adhd and im sure 2 of my 3 have it. We have our bad days and our good days. Tbh the easiest thing for me is mt dew or root beer. It has that chemical that just makes you slow down. And no for those who are gonna jump down my throat. My kids do not live on soda. Usually 1 on a bad day works wonders. Otherwise its juice!.
Anyways i quit meds in 8th grade. I didnt like the way they felt. Was on a dose and a half and made me so mentally ill and unstable too. I had outbursts.
But keep them entertained and moving. Thats the best way. 20 min of play time to about 7-10 min work time. Helps tire them out and focus.
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We changed my childrens diet. We cut out foods with natural and artificial flavours and processed foods it made a major difference. (Feingold diet)
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Me
We got our 5 year old diagnosed at 4 and its been a uphill battle with certain things, but it helped we already had him in a great school that gave us some helpful tips on wgat to look out for towards behaviors. We are putting him into lots of energy using activities that he wants to try like soccer and karate. When we have bad days its all about finding their specific thing to help defuse the situation and redirect to watch is going on. It helps he get a 1/4 cup of coffee with lots of milk on mornings that he is having it rough. It helps him " reboot" sort of and calm down. A pediatrician suggested it, something to do with the caffeine calming that part of the brain and helping it focus so the rest will catch up.
If you read about omega 3 and adhd or talk to your child’s doctor. There is a lot of research that proves it helps and can be effective both academically and behaviourally as it increases brain function to focus. I work with students with adhd and I often give there parents literature on it. They have highly recommended kids omega 3 chewable!
Watch her diet and a good support system
Also no caramel coloring clear sodas
Most all of the above along with CBD oil. Please do the research you will be shocked and how it helps children
Can’t adhd cause other mental issues is not medicated? Just curious & things I’ve heard I had undiagnosed adhd & I have alot of other mental issues as an adult
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