My son is seven years young. He just got diagnosed with ADHD. I am familiar with it, have family members with it. But they are heavily medicated for theirs. I refuse to my son on medication as he’s only 7. What are some tips or advice you can give on how to handle this? We already have a routine set as he thrives on that. Just looking for outside opinions. Thank you(:
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It’s like diabetics, they often need lifestyle & medication. 
Why withhold what your kid needs to thrive?
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Give him extra things to do. Extra work books. Even coloring books. Ask him special projects just for you. Worked for my kiddo good luck momma you are doing everything right
Diet, exercise, hand on activities!
Sometimes meds are the correct route. It could help him. The medical field has worked hard to find things/meds that work for adhd. Why withhold them from your son if he could thrive with the meds?
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As an adult who didn’t become medicated for ADHD until I was 39, I struggled in school badly, had anxiety, issues with forming relationships and I wish I would have been medicated then.
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Homecooked food from scratch, no red dye, minimal sugar snd dyes. No fluorescent lights, exercise outside in the sun, b vitamins
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Educate yourself on different types of medications. Some meds I would say hell no and others at a low low dose could help him tremendously. Medications aren’t as bad as people think and don’t always sedate, if you don’t allow them to be on a high dose of the medication or on the medications that do have major side effects.
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Lots of hands on activities, lots of exercise before doing school work. Cut off all distractions and reward often. Allow many breaks to stretch
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Sports, extra curricular activities, lots of encouragement and stimulation!
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The correct medication will do wonders. I, too, took a while to warm up to the idea, but my son has benefited greatly. He finally has confidence in his schooling. He goes to his pediatrician every three months to keep an eye on him.
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Caffeine will help. I wasn’t diagnosed until my early 30’s, but my brother was diagnosed (and medicated) as a child. I struggled in school and socially while he had fewer issues.
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My daughter is 7 and has had ADHD since she was 2. I didn’t get her medicated until she was 6 because she was falling behind in school. But she isn’t heavily medicated. It typically wears off by the end of school. Anyways keep him busy and find things he enjoys doing. My daughter gets lost in doing crafts for hours. My mom bought her a yoga ball to bounce on when she is doing homework or she can do it while watching TV. Also when the weather is nice I let her go out and play for atleast 1 hour. It helps her wind down for bed. Also limit his screen time weather it be a tablet, video games or even TV. Cut out any red or orange food dyes. They can trigfer bad behaviors. It over stimulates them and can cause them to have bad behaviors as well. Good luck momma you do whats best for you and him 
Maybe take him to a psychiatrist. They can really help him and also teach you how to be a better parent. They are an amazing resource! Also might want to bring it up to his teacher and school’s guidance counselor. They maybe able to provide him some type of support at school when he is having bad days.
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Have you looked up equizen? We used god my daughter with great results
I totally support your choice to not medicate your son. There are a number of things you can do to support him. You can increase his omegas to help support his brain, you can set up systems that have rewards to help his brain release enough dopamine. He can get involved in high Intensity sports if he is really active, or give him room to find things that make him feel accomplished without feeling guilty when he drops them because they don’t give dopamine anymore. Music is a great hobby that helped me. Learning new languages to keep his brain engaged, and learning good coping mechanisms for when the overwhelm is just too much. But that all being said, let me just pose a question to you.
If your son was told he had diabetes and he needed insulin to help would you feel the same?
I fully support everyone’s right to choice. My experience as a person with adhd, who was diagnosed late in life, getting medication to support my brain and help it function was in the same box as getting insulin to support a pancreas and help it function. With even a small dose of medication I wasn’t so overwhelmed with the chaos that was going on in my head. I didn’t feel like a failure all the time because I do the things, things that seemed so hard before. I did t have to fight with my own brain to just eat, or do my dishes, or finish a work assignment.
I know medications aren’t for everyone, but I also know there is a huge stigma about them being “bad” and I don’t think that’s fair to those of us who have much better lives with them than without.
I hope this helped?
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Try coffee! Works on my kid!
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You don’t need to medicate until you or him decided it’s best(i.e struggling HEAVILY in school, social relationships, mental health, etc…) my daughter is 6 and was just diagnosed in summer 2020, but I’ve known since she was 3 and I will not medicate until she asks or it becomes necessary. I immediately pulled Red Dye 40 from her diet, but other dyes can affect too… found dairy triggers her too so elimanted that from her diet. Idk if your son struggles with sleep but my daughter does and it’s common for adhd, and when they’re tired their symptoms can get heightened so I did start giving her 1mL of melatonin at night and it does wonders. Look into vitamins certain defiencies can also trigger symptoms, so look into the First Day vitamin, it’s pricey but has been worth it for my daughter.
EXERCISE! He has to get that energy out.
sounds really weird but look into taking out red dye in foods it help my little brother for a few months but his is bad.
First main thing-- No red dye or high fructose corn syrup! 
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To sit on a yoga ball during school… just small movement will help… also give him half a mt dew or a cup of coffee before school and half one at lunch time… also chewing on stir straws helped my boy… fidget toys may help him focus also… work with his school and they will do what they can to help… my sons teacher would give him half a mt dew during school I just had to supply them.
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Have you ever consideredHave you ever considered Medicinal herbs, oils, cbd. Do you some research, there are a lot of great things that help that are not pharmaceuticals.
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When I was younger my cousin came to stay with us. He had ADHD, undiagnosed. My mom did some research and the whole time he was with us he didn’t eat any processed foods or red food dye and it was like night and day. Completely different kid. Good luck!
No sugar alot of activities. Keep him busy
Whats wrong with meds? They help my daughter tremendously
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I was told my son was gonna need meds and I am totally opposed to it. Get a good schedule keep to it, good diet take out most of the sugars, and make sure you have enough exercise they need a lot. A trampoline was amazing. Good luck.
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I recently put my son on medication and that’s about the same age I said I don’t want to medicate but now I’m thankful I did but now I wish I didn’t wait as long as I did cus i feel it’s too late to try and get him involved more in school which part of it is the online learning but the therapy alone wasn’t helping him I started with a non stimulant and it’s working well so far
Diet, diet, diet and hydration. A very clean diet will help wonders. I agree with no medication a million percent. Food put together in correct forms, herbs and minerals is all he will need.
Check for sleep apnea if you haven’t already Factors related to pediatric obstructive sleep apnea–hypopnea syndrome in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in different age groups - PMC
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My 5 yr old was recently diagnosed with adhd and anxiety. She is in therapy and works with a counselor
The medicine will really help him. He will thrive on it. You’re not doing it for you, you’re doing it for him.
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Diet can help. Cut out dyes and sugar. Extracurricular activies can help too. Martial arts are supposed to help them focus their energy.
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Vitamin b and magnesium!
Therapy there’s a place called amber wing in duluth mn that helps with behavior issues I would think this would help a lot with coping with adhd without medication look it up and try to find something similar in your area! And screw all these people that say medicate my husband had bad adhd growing up and never was on medication for it and he thrives in life now!!!
They just put my 4 yo grandson on a very small dose of something and sending him to the childrens hospital to get tested for autism as well… but the meds have made a tremendous diff for his focus at prek he has learned so much more in the last 3 weeks because he isn’t always running wide open…
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Exracurricular activities like sports work wonders without needing medication. Especially martial arts. Children with adhd need an energy outlet. If you are a very involved mom and have the time to be there to really help them thrive without medication then its not necessary. My brother had adhd and he tried many medications that never worked or would only work for a short period of time before needing to up the dose or change it again. Basically making him a guinea pig or a zombie. Sometimes medication isnt always the best option but it may work for some. My brother thrived better without it. He was able to be a normal kid. There are medications available that dont have these kind of side effects that you can ask your doctor about. Or even vitamins you can try to help with focus. I recommend asking your doctor about these options to see how it goes because only you can decide the best options for your child. Sometimes all a child needs is patience and understanding and most importantly alot of love and support 
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So my oldest was also diagnosed at a young age, the teachers were adamant about medicating him. I am a nurse and I knew there was something else we could do except meds. Extra work and keeping him busy only helped so much. The Dr who diagnosed him looked us in the eye and told us she knew we didn’t want to medicate our son, and she wouldn’t either. She told us she had numerous families try gluten free to help with ADD/ADHD. It was tremendously beneficial for him, we did this when he was younger and now he isn’t on this special diet and does have some issues but he is also a teenager. This was harder back then because we were making all the gluten free foods, but now you can buy everything because it is not new anymore. I have also heard of cutting the red dyes out too. Good luck, and go with your gut. What works for one child doesn’t always work for the next.
Following, im going through the same thing with my 8 year old son. I have appointment on Wednesday.
Strayers is a prescribed herbal(nonaddicting) medication my son functions fine on it plus diet watch out as I was told for foods with the red dye in it
My middle son has ADHD. I cut out as many artificial dyes as possible but especially red dye. I also cut out as much refined sugar and processed foods as possible. And find an outlet for the energy. Figure out what he’s interested in and go from there.
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A healthy, clean diet, and schedule
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As an adult who has struggled with ADHD/ADD I struggled in school, and had trouble until I was on medication when I turned 15, then stopped from 16-17.
You could tell when I was wasn’t on my meds because I would start failing classes.
I grew up in a home where “medication wasn’t the answer”.
I was in school activities, did diets, vitamins, etc.
I went 5 years (age 18-23) without medication and struggled with anxiety, depression and just feeling overwhelmed.
Try diet, vitamins, activities, etc and if they aren’t working consider a small dose of medication.
I agree that age 7 is young, and medication dependency is scary, but you need to do what is best for your child over all, even if it means a small dose of meds along with a strict schedule.
Depression, anxiety, etc can all be negatively affected without treatment.
Over all do what’s best for you and your family, and get multiple medical opinions.
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They have certain therapies that can help with ADHD. Counseling, diet, & exercise also helps but it’s almost always recommended that medication is part of the treatment plan at least in the beginning. It can be difficult for the skills learned in therapy & counseling to stick without the medication. I completely understand not wanting to have a child on those meds but sometimes it’s the only option. Thankfully there are multiple options for which medication is used & they have non stimulant & stimulant meds.
Encourage finishing projects/ seeing things through to the end. Also try to not be upset when he starts something and doesn’t finish it whether that be sports, hobbies, or games. We thrive on routine so ease him into transitions.
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When my son was 5 my self and his dad also some family members was pretty sure that he had adhd. He had him in sports and doing other activities hoping to get that energy out before needing to put him on medication. Once it started effecting his school work that’s when he was diagnosed he was 7 also at the time. He takes the lowest dose possible. I hated putting him on meds but the difference was amazing. He’s now the top of his class in math and reading even with the social distancing. The hardest was finding the right medication for him but once we did it’s been great. I would talk to his doctor and tell them your worried about the meds. I hope it goes well for your lil man.
I didn’t medicate my daughter even she was diagnosed at 12. She struggled with paying attention in class and became so anxious about being called on that she started avoiding school. She didn’t tell me what the core issue was until years later.
The medications available don’t have to control them. My daughter takes adderall on school days. It hasn’t brought back her confidence in the classroom but it’s a tiny step in the right direction.
If I could do it over, I would have medicated my daughter.
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Food allergies can mimic ADHD also.
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Sports. Kept my boys busy helped a lot
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Eliminate red and blue dyes, additives in diet
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Small cup of a coffee in the AM. It has opposite effect and tends to mellow down the ADHD
Please do not put ur 7 year old on medication. He will be dependent on them for the rest of his life. I was put on meds when I was 3 and I now can not function without medication. There are other ways to deal with ADHD. My 4 year old has it and I’m like I I refuse to put my son on meds
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I tried to keep my son off meds. He is the only one who suffered. He now takes Concerta only on school days and he told me he can tell the difference. He is 14 now. I know you asked non medicated ways to help but I want to tell you if you don’t find what works for her, don’t be afraid of meds. My son also takes meds for seizures. It was hard for me to accept that he needs these medications but he hasn’t had a seizure in over 1 year and a half. Good luck.
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Red dye is generally an issue for kids with adhd.
Have you tired chiropractic?
•remove food dyes
•watch the amount I nitrates/nitrites consumed
•limit overstimulation in the home (don’t have tv on and phones ringing or radio playing at the same time)
•limit screen time
•get a chiropractor adjustment
•watch for food allergies (food allergies can present themselves in behavioral ways)
• de clutter play areas, removing excessive toys or toys that have too much stimulation such as noise and lights (we as adults can’t function very well if there’s chaos everywhere)
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my brother had very bad adhd. He started medication when he was about 7. It was trial and error. Some meds wouldnt do anything, other made him worse, and others would make him fall asleep. Eventually my mom decided to take him off of meds. She put him in a basketball and a volleyball team. He started to do good in school, his grades went up and his behavior improved greatly. Now he is a sophomore in a private high school back home (PR), for which he got a basketball scholarship. For his senior year he will come to the states to a prep-school for which he also got a scholarship for basketball. He doesn’t take meds nowadays and he is doing great.
I am with you that he is too young to be on meds. There are other behavioral interventions that can be used to help him. I never had that so I didn’t learn how to manage my adhd. Now I have to use meds but Im an adult. I think your son can learn to manage just like my brother did. Stick to your guns, momma. It can be hard, but it will be worth it. Best of luck.
I had two sons diagnosed as adhd one was on Ritalin and the other not but then went off in high school only to be in adderal now as a young man of 30 . He needs it to stay focused
My son was diagnose with adhd and other disorder he was heavy on med until i took him off and let him be a kid in 4th grade he did not know his abc he could not write or read cuz of the med after watching him depress n cry not eat and all i got mad and took his meds off i met a teacher who told me no med i will watch him n teach him before his 4th grade ended he learn everything even one a certificate from the state amd his school he became a example his teacher told me soon as he see him jumping all over he change his activity they get bored now he is 15 n yes still hyper but he only 1 yr behind in school that because he had to repeat 1rst grade i rather have him hyper than a zombie yes he needs to be tell what to do n i tell his school he see a phychistrist he has adhd and that he not the boss get ahead of him first and since then they never have a problem w him
Child therapist/behavioralist is what helped me. I was on Adderall for years, really messed up my brain. My dad put me in the program for counseling when I was 10, really helped. The earlier you can get them in, the better. I do want you to know it gets better, we go on to lead perfectly normal lives. Just have a hard time focusing and sometimes temperament. That’s where the child therapist comes in, teaches your child how to properly regulate their emotions. Also the extra support could boost confidence in school. Xoxo momma
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Studies have shown omega 3s help and they help my daughter. Also magnesium.
Make some diet changes.
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I tried so hard to keep my son from taking meds. I thought he would turn into a zombie. But after having a discussion with his dr, she said it would help give him those 5 seconds to think before he acts.
I regret not putting him on meds before. I did him a disservice by postponing the meds.
Of course, I put him in counseling previously, and they helped him find coping methods, but that only got him so far. Not only did he do better in school with meds, but he made better decisions at home as well. It’s trial and error, always starting with the minimum dose. It’s not based on weight, but their own brain activity.
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Listen, medication made my life and my child’s life bearable. I think it is always good to avoid meds when and where you can, but quality of life is more important than anything else. If those meds make his life easier, then he needs them. If they only make it easier in school, then only give them on school days with summers and weekends off. If you find lots of physical activity does the trick, great. But don’t deny him something that is a game changer because you don’t like the idea of medication. Don’t knock something until you try it. Let him decide after a month or 3 if it is right for him. You can’t just write something off that could make the difference between him growing up to self medicate or him growing up well adjusted and functional. Keep an open mind and try all roads. Different therapies, different doctors, different meds, then stick with what works and dump what doesn’t. Going heavy on the first med you try is no better than denying meds to a kid that needs them. Find a good balance, work with his doctors and teachers, and do what is best for him first and foremost, regardless of how you feel about it.
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Swimming is great for focusing and excess energy!!
We took years to decide to put our daughter on medicine for it. She only got it at school. Never even kept any at home. The nurse at school gave it to her. It never had a negative affect on her and she never got it when she was not in school. However, it did absolutely help her while in school.
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Some research shows that a protein named casein, that is found in milk can increase symptoms of ADHD and some other foods so just like someone suggested above, to review his diet and make some changes to ease those symptoms hopefully 
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Look up alternative ways to keep his attention. And monitor his diet. My son and myself are borderline Asperger’s. I took my son off Adderall when he was 11 because of the side affects. And I’ve never been on any medicine. My son was diagnosed at 10 and I was at 37. My son doesn’t eat any sweets because of his diet. He is 21 now and is leading a normal life. I’m been leading a normal life just knew something was always different about me.
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Martial arts, some form of daily exercise so that he burns off that excess energy.
ADHD is neurological and most people’s feelings about withholding medication is likely based on what OTHER people THINK about it and old stereotypes about medication that have since been improved. It can’t be counseled or dieted away just like cancer and down syndrome can’t. The reason you should put your child on ADHD medication is because THEY will FEEL better! It’s a common misconception that medicating a child with ADHD is for the benefit of the adults around them and that’s simply not true. I put off ADHD meds for my child for a year or two and it was the worst time I’ve ever wasted. My child literally cried once he was on medication and told me how much better he felt and that I should have put him on it sooner. You need to find a great psychiatrist and not just let some general practitioner medicate your kid. Take him to a specialist and best of luck.
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My son was diagnosed at 6yrs old. The doctor first wanted me to try the omega 3 supplement along with melatonin for a whole year before he would put him on medication. That didn’t work so his doctor started him on low dose and build up to were he was calm and had control of himself yet functional and not out of it. He was not heavily medicated. He also went through behavioral therapy. And had a sensor room at school where he could go.
I was the same way until he was getting in trouble daily in school. Once I got him on medication, his teacher said he’s a completely different kid. His grades are better and he’s rarely in trouble. He only takes it when he’s in school though, so weekends and school breaks, he’s his normal self
Coffee and any kind of caffeine
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My son has add/adhd and we avoid any foods with red dye, we can tell a huge difference when he has had red dye and when he hasnt. We do not allow caffeine. If his schedule changes he really struggles. We do not medicate and we have learned a lot of ways to help him along the way.
Im 27 years old with ADHD i was diagnosed at 11. Why it took so long no idea. But i was never put on medicine for it. When my brother was 5 he was on some serious stuff for his and at 5 he told my mom he didnt want to take them anymore because he didn’t like how they made him feel and my mom took him off them. I think he should have been put in some kind of therapy he’s 24 and its very prevalent in him. I think my mom didn’t put me on any because of how my brother reacted. I think if I had been diagnosed earlier I would have been able to learn methods on helping if medicine wasn’t an option. I’ve built my own methods and use them frequently but I’ve always wondered how it would have been different if it was caught sooner or if I was given the chance of medicine. So its always been a weird subject for me but as his parent you know whats best so if you don’t do medicine try therapy at least. Its a very tough subject as every person is built different
What were his signs? I have my son that’s super hyper and would like to know your experience on his symptoms.
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If your child had diabetes, a heart condition, or any other physical illness, you would treat with medication and not question it. i will never understand the thought process behind refusing to treat issues of the brain (such as ADHD) with medication…
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I know it sounds funny but 1/2 cup of coffee it worked for my son calmed him right down
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Keep them busy busy ! My nephew was adhd my sister refused medicine and 25 years later he is extremely successful
I have recommended a product that is amazing with incredible results. I would love to share it with you if that’s ok. I have 2 adult sons with ADD and they are both on it. PM me if interested. I don’t get on Facebook as much anymore.
Healthy diet and activities plus exercise keep him active but also challenge his mind
Vitamins!!! Make sure he gets full vitamins everyday. Have his vitamins checked to see if hes lacking in anything. Honestly, I see SUCH a difference cognitively whenever my kids are low. Its not a cure for adhd, but the brain runs sooooooo much better when all of its needs are met.
https://www.amazon.com/LTO3-L-Theanine-Omega-3-Skullcap-Capsules/dp/B005BCSNSS this is all natural and it really works.
LOL at people saying lifestyle change. I’ve lived with this my entire life. Yes, avoid medication if you can at such a young age. Magnesium has helped me but patience, research and understanding that there are mental parts of this that require understanding not judgment. I don’t envy anyone with this diagnosis. Especially kids who can’t understand quite yet
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We do behavioral therapy and it helps a lot
Sign him up for Swim classes and let him lap swim.
I am add and ADHD and two of my kids are as well. We tried medication with my older child and no that didn’t go well. So we started trying different things. We cut sugar during the school week. No caffeine and we play outside as much as possible. Screen time very limited not always though. Truthfully I need a break sometimes.
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Surprisingly caffeine helps! My brother has ADHD and his doctor even said that we could try it and it has helped some people. You could also try CBD oil/hemp oil.
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My son always wanted coffee. Now he’s 29 and realize it makes him calm.
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As silly as it sounds my friend and her son would go out for a run in the morning and give him a caffeinated drink before school.
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I would recommend changing his diet to a healthy diet and adding in a powder called Calm. It helped my nephew bc my sister was the same way about not medicating my nephew.
Coffee and routines are very important…stay in on a schedule
CBD oil!!! Such a page turner for my 11 yr old sever ADHD, ODD, Mood disorder & congestive disordered stepson!!
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My daughter has ADHD and I was also against meds. Her grades were bad and she couldn’t remember anything. I put her on her meds and now she’s passing in school and doing so much better. I felt bad for not putting her on it sooner.
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My son is 7 and a half and he was diagnosed with adhd , odd, and anxiety when he was 5 and a half. I was always very adamant that I did not want to medicate him. I was afraid of side effects and it making him feel like a zombie or taking his appetite away. So I didn’t medicate him. Then when he started first grade he was in trouble all the time because he couldn’t focus. Taking tests were not possible because they take too long and his brain would tell him nope we’re going to do something else. He has an above average IQ for his age as do most children with disorders. He finished kindergarten two months before he was suppose to but because he couldn’t keep calm and focus in first grade it began to negatively effect his grades and that on top of him telling me, “ I guess I’m just a bad kid.” “ I wish I could just be like other kids why can’t I?” That broke me. So I talked with his doctor and to him and I we decided to give some meds a try. I promised him that if it made him feel bad or if it made him not want to eat or even if he just didn’t like it, that I would not force him to take it. We tried it first while he was home and so I could see how he reacted to it. He was calm I checked and asked him constantly how he felt and if he was ok and he said yea. He told me that it felt good to not want to move around and be hyper all the time. He told me thank you for helping him slow down and think. So a week on the meds ( only one chewable before school a day) and he came home in high spirits and actually got good notes sent home from the teachers. He felt so proud of himself and no longer felt like the bad kid. If you do decided to go with meds( it’s totally yours and your child’s decision) then just make sure his doctor picks the right dose and meds for his particular strain. I told mine that I refuse to use ridlin or aderal and she agreed with me. Said that not all adhd requires a stimulant( which those two meds are stimulants) he was prescribed qulichew which is a non stimulant and a very low dose. My son only gets it during the week for school and none on weekends and none for long periods( holidays) out of school.
I had to convince the Dr my daughter needed help. Took me 3 years. Finally… someone listened. Why make them suffer with things they cannot change about themselves. They only grow to hate themselves more and self confidence is hard to build after the Trust from a parent not helping them is worn thin. Take it from me… why put him thru more pain? It could be short term until he learns his own way of controlling or contributing to his behaviour. Help him… you will be happy you did.
Think of it this way… its one pill, short term and it was a complete 180⁰ with my daughter. So worth it!!
We use Vyvanse and it’s a game changer for my son. Hes thriving now. We did a very low dose, so he wouldn’t turn into a “zombie”
I refused Adderall and Riddilin, absolutely refused.
However if your looking at just wanting him to focus and have a solid routine, I’ve heard fidget cubes help
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Essential oils can also help if you’re hell bent on a natural approach and no medications.
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Diet can be a factor. Red foods set my son off, tomatoes, apples anything red
I have NY son in ot therapy to help him self regulate and to know when he needs to understand his body.