Warning: Rant Ahead...

First, read this article.

No, really. Go read it. I'll wait.

Second, I am not, nor do I claim to be, a medical doctor or an expert of any kind. I am completely speaking from personal experience and my own (very unscientific) understanding of this topic. So take what I say with a grain or two of salt and a healthy dash of skepticism.

..........

Even though I completely and utterly agree with everything the article says, I am also completely and utterly irritated by it. Yes, ADD/ADHD is over-diagnosed and over-medicated. Yes, children need healthier diets, better sleep habits and more exercise. Yes, families have become too splintered by work/sports/etc schedules, and children have been given too much freedom and forced to take on too much responsibility. (Not the good, character-building, take out the trash and clean your room kind... that's always good. I'm talking about the get yourself off to school in the morning, let yourself in with the key after school, microwave yourself some EZ Mac for dinner, and make sure you put yourself to bed at a reasonable time cuz I have important adult things to do and I'll be home sometime after 11 kind.) YES, relying on medication to "fix" your kid because you are too busy/lazy/disinterested to be a parent is (in my humble, I have no kids so it's easy for me to talk opinion) is a crime.

HOWEVER.

I have known a great number of kids who needed just the tiniest medicinal boost to help them get control over themselves. These are kids who had loving, caring, involved parents who were doing all the right things. They got plenty of sleep, ate healthy food, spent time together as a family, and so on. These kids wanted to do the right thing. They were desperate to please their parents, their teachers, their friends. They wanted to get good grades and finish things they started and stay focused. They just couldn't.

Although there are many things that can cause a child to present with ADD/ADHD-like symptoms - many environmental, some behavioral - I firmly believe that some children have a chemical imbalance in their brains that prevents them from being able to be completely in control, no matter how hard they try. This chemical imbalance is present from birth and when adults tell them to "control themselves" they have NO IDEA what we are talking about. They have never experienced the feeling of being fully in charge (as much as that is possible for anyone) of their own actions/thoughts/emotions.

Medication can help balance the brain chemicals and allow these children to see what being in control feels like. Once they have the ablility to focus, they can be taught various methods of self-control. More importantly, they can be taught how to observe and interpret their own brains. Metacognition - thinking about thinking - is not something you are born with. By helping these children recognize the non-medical things that effect their brains, we can give them the tools to maintain self-control on their own. Medication can sometimes be a way to enable them to reach the point where they no longer need to be medicated. It should NOT be considered the solution to the problem.

My irritation with this article stems from the fact that they are treating the question of medication as if it has one simple answer. As if what is right for one child is right for ALL children. Not only is this bad for children (just take a peek at the NCLB fiasco to know that the "one size fits all" approach doesn't work), but it is bad for parents. Being a parent is hard enough without having people throw headlines like

"Ritalin Linked With 500% Increase
in Sudden Death of Children!!"

at you. Ritalin is not the only (or as far as I can tell the most commonly recommended) ADD/ADHD medication out there any more. Telling parents that the health, well-being, happiness, and future of their child hangs on this one little question might be truthful (after all, don't all choices effect those things one way or another?) but it is terrifying and unnecessary. No one does their best thinking under that kind of stress.
So, let's try a little less hyperbole and a little more reasonable discussion all around* when dealing with the question of helping students with ADD/ADHD (or any learning disability, for that matter). Helping children who have trouble focusing is difficult. There are risks and benefits to any potential solution, whether it is medical or otherwise. Cooperation, understanding, and level-headed behavior is the name of the game. At least, that's what I think.

.......

*Yes, that goes for the teachers who immediately call for medication when 7 year old has a little trouble sitting still and doing what he's told for 6 hours. Can we say "developmentally appropriate behavior" anyone?

Top Dog?

So, yesterday I took Mia to work with me. She loves going for car rides, is well behaved around other people and in new places, and could use a break from the abuse Wiggles heaps on her all day, every day in an attempt to be the "bigger" dog. Seemed win/win, you know.
I failed to understand the fine line my pups are balancing with regards to their relevant positions in our little world. When Mia and I returned home last night, Wiggles increased her posturing and aggressive behavior. I tried all the tricks I've used in the past: leash work, training sessions, socialization-type things, etc. Things seemed edgy, but better when it came time to put them to bed. Per the usual, Mia and Trooper were in the igloo, and Wiggles was on the blanket (tucked under another blanket cuz the people in our house can't help projecting and anthropomorphizing their pets).
This morning I woke up to the sound of a dog yelping in a most unhappy way. I rushed outside to release them, sure that Wiggles had somehow hurt Mia with her obnoxious one-up-man-ship. I looked her all over, and almost missed the gaping wound on Wiggles' ear. It looks pretty ugly. Blood on the inside and outside make me think someone bit right through it. I've made an appointment to have the vet look at it. Everyone seems to be getting along okay now, although Mia is acting pretty spooked.
We're going to get a second igloo as soon as possible. (We have a second doghouse already, but it's second hand and none of the dogs will go inside it.) Other than that and not ever taking Mia somewhere without Wiggles again, I have no idea how to help them work this out. All I know is that I am tired of dealing with it.

UPDATE:
I swear our vet thinks we're idiots.
.....
As he began to examine Wiggles, he looked inside her ear.
"Is this the injury?" He points to the miniscule wound you can see from that side. I can tell he is wondering why the hell we bothered him with this injury he can barely see. I lean in.
"Yes, that's part of it. But I'm more worried about..."
As I am speaking he turns the ear over and notices the inch long chunk of fur and skin missing.
"Oh! This is definitely going to need sutures," he says to his assistant as if one of us had disagreed with him. I bite my tongue to stop myself from making some inappropriate, albeit probably very witty, remark.
.....
We ended up signing the anesthesia forms and leaving her to have her ear stitched up. Poor baby is going to be be all wobbly instead of wiggly when we pick her up at 4:00.

More Goals...

Work Goal #2 - Productivity
Baseline - I enjoy being at Escuela del Sol and doing business related things, but I waste a lot of time there. I get distracted by personal things: doing my nails, watching TV, or knitting.
Goal - I will create a work schedule and limit myself to work related activities during work times.
Sub-goal A – I will stick to the following work schedule: M – 12 - 8 pm, T – 8 am - 7:30 pm, W – 12 - 8 pm, Th – 12 - 8 pm, F – 12 - 5 pm
Sub-goal B - I will refrain from FB, Netflix, and Twitter during work hours except for my official breaks.
Sub-goal C - I will take a one hour break each day from 12:30 to 1:30 pm, during which I can entertain myself however I like.

Health Goal #1 - Exercise
Baseline – I currently do a few laps with the dogs a couple times a week, as well as rarely using the elliptical and occasionally doing some stretches. Exercise happens randomly based on my motivation, schedule, and awareness.
Goal – I will create a regular exercise routine.
Sub-goal A – I will complete at least 5 laps with the dogs at least 3 times a week.
Sub-goal B – I will walk on the elliptical instead of sitting on the couch for the first 30 minutes of reading or TV watching time each day.
Sub-goal C – I will do 10 push-ups and 30 sit-ups each day.

Health Goal #2 - Diet
Baseline – Although I enjoy healthy foods such as fruits and veggies, I eat way too much of everything, especially carbohydrates and fried foods. I currently weigh [mssg redacted] lbs.
Goal – I will reduce my weight to [mssg redacted] lbs.
Sub-goal A – I will record my weight and caloric intake at least 6 days of each week.
Sub-goal B – I will limit my caloric intake to 1,400 cal/day.
Sub-goal C – I will refrain from buying chips and candy as snacks when shopping.

GOOOOOOOOAAAALLL!

The new year, not to mention a new decade, is upon us, and it is time to take stock of my life. I'm not one for making resolutions (too easy to fail), but I do like to take a moment to evaluate my progress through this thing we call life.
Resolutions seem to be too scary. If I resolve not to eat fatty foods, I'm bound to think of nothing but onion rings until I break down and gorge myself. Once that happens, the resolution is broken and there's no going back. My brain considers that a free pass until the next Jan 1st comes along.
Instead, I like to make goals for myself. These are things I am working toward. If I happen to eat some onion rings along the way, it's okay. I just try to do a little better the next week. Goals are more about knowing where I'm headed and less about staying on exactly the right path to get there.
Although I was too overwhelmed last year (and possibly the year before) to even think about the future, I am ready to grab hold of the reins once again. Here's how I do it, in case you'd like to play along at home:

Categories - I try to keep it fairly simple. If I give myself too many goals, I can't keep up with them. Failure is NOT a good motivator.

Work - goals relating to my job and the earning of money
Home - goals about chores and home ownership
Relationships - goals for improving my interactions with family and friends
Health - goals for exercise and eating habits
Fun - goals that encourage me to continue things I know I like and explore things I think I might like

Format - As a teacher, I relate my yearly goals to those that I might write for a student's Individualized Education Plan. Consequently, I follow the same guides that I would use when creating an IEP. I try to keep the goals as specific as possible. I make sure that my goals are both measurable and reachable. I use my current baseline as a starting point, and I develop sub-goals that will help me monitor my progress.
For example:

Work Goal #1 - Master's Degree
Baseline - I have 5 classes left to complete my online Master's degree. I have received A's on on my coursework and tests so far, but I have not turned anything for the last 12 months.
Goal - I will complete 4 classes toward my master's degree this year.
Sub-goals - I will have 2 finished by May, and the other 2 finished by next January. I will complete an average of 3 questions a week.

I plan to have the rest of my goals fleshed out before the calendar clicks over to 2010. I'll probably even share them with you! I'd be interested in hearing about your New Year's goals and/or resolutions. What are you feelings about them? How do you do it? What are you planning for 2010?

The horses have escaped? Quick! Shut the barn door!

Is anyone else concerned about the idiocy with which the FAA and the US Government are dealing with the latest airline security issue? I mean, I’m all for safety precautions, but it seems to me that the security measures that have been implemented in the past decade are purely reactionary. Someone uses a liquid to do damage, so liquids are restricted to 3 ounces. Someone uses a shoe, so we all have to walk through security barefoot. While I understand the basic logic behind these choices, they have proven time and time again to be completely useless. Imagine if you will, being in an elementary classroom:

……….
Vandalism has become a problem in Room 7. The first time profanity was written on the whiteboard while the teacher was talking with some students in the hall, so the students were no longer allowed to work outside the classroom. That sounds reasonable enough, right? The next time pictures are drawn on some of the desks while the class is out at recess, so recess is limited to indoor activities for the rest of the week. The kids don’t like it, but there’s not much they can do about it. Despite the teacher’s watchful eye, doodles are found on the wall by the library sometime after writing. This time, the teacher collects all the pencils and requires students to sign them out each time they need one. Some of the students see this restriction of their activities as a challenge. It becomes a status builder to be able to commit vandalism without getting caught. Eventually, the teacher has implemented a rule prohibiting any students from getting out of their seats outside of their assigned 15 minute window each day. All writing utensils are considered contraband materials, and students are patted down prior to entering the classroom each morning. Not only has the vandalism not stopped, now the students of Room 7 are rebelling in a variety of other ways.
………

In the wake of the most recent terrorist activity, the FAA has come up with yet another asinine security measure. “Among other things, during the final hour of flight customers must remain seated, will not be allowed to access carry-on baggage, or have personal belongings or other items on their laps.” Because that’s going to fix everything, right? At least until some pissed off terrorist realizes that they can get up to mischief BEFORE the one hour cut-off time. At which point the rest of us - honest passengers just trying to get from point A to point B - will be told to sit without moving in our seats for the last TWO hours of the flight. And so on.

Why is it that authority figures inevitably choose to demonstrate their power and might over those who challenge or disagree with them? These attempts to micromanage the behavior of others so rarely fixes anything. Instead the situation is escalated back and forth, with each side trying harder to one-up the other. How can it be that after thousands of years, the driving forces behind human actions can still be so misunderstood? Good people can do amazing things when they are treated with respect and understanding, but will fight back and make stupid choices when they feel their freedoms are being threatened. Bad people find a way to do bad things no matter what restrictions they are facing. “The attempted attack on a Northwest Airlines flight to Detroit has raised concerns among U.S. security officials that the device the suspect allegedly tried to detonate appeared to be made of materials that met U.S. airline-security regulations, Rep. Peter King, R.-N.Y., the top Republican on the House Homeland Security committee, said in an interview Saturday.”

I, for one, am done traveling the friendly skies. The insane expense, the endless lines, the indisputable carbon footprint, the inevitable airline incompetence, and the increasingly restricting (yet consistently useless) rules and regulations have convinced me. If I need to go somewhere in the foreseeable future, it will be on the ground.

Friendly Reminder...

This blog was created many years ago - 2002, to be exact. It was (and hopefully will be once again) a vent for my thoughts and feelings and a record of the important events in my life. It began as an attempt to increase communication with various family members. While that didn't pan out exactly as I'd planned, it did become a valued way for me to express and expand upon the random thoughts that pass through my head each day.

Since 2002, many things have changed in my life. The pages of this blog contain the words I used to share and process a variety of things - both good and bad - that I have experienced. I have always been the kind of person who wears her heart right out on her sleeve, and I wish to remain so. Therefore, I am going to refrain from going through and editing, deleting, or hiding anything I have written in the past. I simply ask that you remember 2 things:

1. You are under no obligation to read the words that I have written. If something I say (or said) offends you, please feel free to stop reading. I enjoy sharing my thoughts, but I have no desire to hurt or upset you. I will completely understand if you choose not to read what I have written. However, I try to remain true to my own feelings and avoid censoring myself as much as possible.

2. Just because I expressed love/hate/anger/joy/etc for something on a previous date does not mean that I feel the same way now. As a human, I am continually growing and changing, as well as occasionally sticking my foot in my mouth. Please give me a little room for mistakes and/or foolishness.

Ode to Time Zones

We are winging our way east at 250 mph. During our two and a half
hour flight, the minutes of four and a half hours are devoured in one
gulp. The sun doesn't slip past the horizon, but dives past, toes
pointed at just the right angle, leaving barely a ripple to mark its
passing. I would mourn the loss of these precious minutes, but I know
that on my way home the sun will float lazily along with me, returning
that borrowed time with a smile.

Observations from a Southwest Flight

The teen boy with the military hair cut and the earring who is sitting
across from me avidly watches the teen girl with the pink and teal stripes in
her hair who is sitting in front of me. He requests a Sprite
and 'that girl's phone number' from the flight attendant. He
convinces the elderly man sitting next to him to switch seats so he
can tap her on the shoulder and inquire as to where she attends
school. (Being sure to mention that he is a recent graduate of a nearby school
himself.) She's not quite sure how to take this unexpected, but
perhaps not entirely undesired, attention. I'm immensely amused by
his persistent questions and her polite but brief answers. This
amusement, derived from the knowledge that I no longer have to fear
being in either of these kids' shoes, makes me feel old. But it's an
old I am comfortable with.