The Raging Ritalin Debate
So they have finally announced that ritalin and other drugs of that nature are possibly dangerous. Thats almost a joke. Many of us have been warning people for years about the possible dangers of drugging a child in order to "calm him down" or "make him sit and listen."
Now, the FDA is going to require a warning label on these medicines, because they are alarmed that they may be "dangerous to the heart."
I have tutored these ritalin--saturated children, and although they may "sit and listen", their behavior is not what one would call "normal." My own son was one of those bouncy, high-activity, on-the-move children. I knew if I placed him in public school, the powers-that-be would suggest, if not insist, that he be drugged. I decided to homeschool, and I have never regretted the decision. Around the age of 11, his chemistry apparently came into its own, because he slowed down noticeably and was able to "sit and listen" all on his own. These kids need to learn to control their own behavior, not depend on drugs to "normalize" them.
Meanwhile, the debate is still raging about whether these drugs are being over-administered. I hope that the latest findings will provide a reason for reducing the use of ritalin and like medicines.
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As horrible as it has been ...
... I can see why public education had to go the drug route. Schools have not changed substantively since the late 19th century, only the classes are much larger, contain kids that are chronologically the same age (not a good idea for development), provide a safety net for all at-risk kids (which are increasing almost geometrically each year) and are in a constant state of chaos because of new federal laws and state "standards" which do not permit children to have a well-rounded background in anything. Behavior? Can't even start with that.
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Nancy J Many of the reasons
Nancy J
Many of the reasons you give are why I home school my son. That takes care of my son, but what about all the others? I think you must begin with behavior. Behavior is the reason why the number of at-risk kids are increasing each year.
Look around. Do you see how kids act these days? Do you see how the adults are acting these days? The adults are not teaching the kids right from wrong and how to behave in polite society....either because they don't want to or because they don't know how to behave themselves. The schools are opposed to teaching right from wrong. Teaching morality and how to behave is touching too close to religion, I guess, and they would rather die than go that route. And besides, you don't want to stifle the little darling's creativity. You must let them become their own person. But, apparently drugging them is ok. Poppycock!
What these kids need is discipline. But, who is going to teach that? The adults today don't even have it. You can't buy it at Wal-Mart's. You can't even find it on the web. Maybe they can win some in a lottery.