joanna bujes wrote:
>
> 1) We live in an industrialized/fragile environment which makes it almost
> impossible for children to be children....to have energy and to expend
> their energy. If you have a dog, you give it a yard and a walk every day. A
> lot of children don't even get that. They're in school behind a desk all
> day long and then they come to their tastefully furnished house where one
> or more overworked adults want to relax rather than deal with
> "hyperkinetic" children.
>
Yes and lets recognize that the public schools have cut back on
physical education programs some 40% or so -- this was at least one
hour kids got to run and work some of their energy off.
>
> 3) We make kids sit all day, all the while feeding them chemicals and
> sugar. I've had lunch with my daughter's second grade class; I'm not making
> this up. Then we're surprised they're full of restless energy.
>
Also in my day the sugar corporations were not allowed to sell candy
bars in vending machines at schools, now they are everywhere and
people wonder why we have an epidemic of overweight children (which
can turn into diabetes) in this country?
> This is all to say that there are many factors in what we call children's
> "hyperactivity" and only a small amount that has anything to do with
> abnormal physiology. A friend of mine with a "hyperactive" child controlled
> the situation basically by controlling the sugar/chemicals in his diet.
I have seen the same postive results from lowering sugar intake.
However, with the vending machines at school this is impossible for
parents to control. Organizing against these harmful corporate
policies will take a united effort. so far I don't see many parents
making the connections, so when the doc says put him on Ritalin that
is what they unfortunately usually do.
>
Thanks for your insights.