Default Style Register
Daycare.com Forum
Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Why French Kids Don't Have ADHD...
MN Mom 08:34 AM 05-18-2013
In light of a few recent threads on behavior problems, I thought I'd share an interesting article I read yesterday!

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/...dont-have-adhd

Have a great weekend everybody!!!
Reply
mom2many 08:40 AM 05-18-2013
Originally Posted by MN Mom:
In light of a few recent threads on behavior problems, I thought I'd share an interesting article I read yesterday!

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/...dont-have-adhd

Have a great weekend everybody!!!
Thanks for posting! Interesting article indeed! Enjoy your weekend!
Reply
itlw8 08:48 AM 05-18-2013
interesting but I do not believe it... ds learned to self soothe at an early age. I really think the increased amount has to do with chemicals in our food and environment. the type of wheat we have compared with theirs ours is a higher gluten grain that makes fluffy bread.

And even look at the preschools there more hands on up and move. I doubt they ever do worksheets with preschoolers or kindergarteners.
Reply
Cradle2crayons 09:48 AM 05-18-2013
Originally Posted by itlw8:
interesting but I do not believe it... ds learned to self soothe at an early age. I really think the increased amount has to do with chemicals in our food and environment. the type of wheat we have compared with theirs ours is a higher gluten grain that makes fluffy bread.

And even look at the preschools there more hands on up and move. I doubt they ever do worksheets with preschoolers or kindergarteners.
Don't forget vaccines are different there too
Reply
preschoolteacher 09:51 AM 05-18-2013
I agree that the environment and parenting styles should be looked at first before a child is medicated, but it's important not to forget that even parents with excellent parenting skills sometimes have kids who have ADHD, and it can't always be "blame the parent." In the past, people used to blame mothers for being cruel and distant and said that it caused autism. That's such a painful thing to feel, and parents with kids with special needs already have some guilt on them (even though they shouldn't).
Reply
itlw8 02:21 PM 05-18-2013
since it is known ADHD is genetic how many French families in the US have children with ADHD it could be they do not carry the gene anyway
Reply
itlw8 02:25 PM 05-18-2013
The thing is if there are parenting skills and environment problems the meds won't fis the problem. The meds are a stimulant and ONLY calm and help people concentrate that have ADHD for other people it works as a stimulant .

give a normal child caffeine it hypes them up give a child with ADHD caffeine and it will actually calm them down.
Reply
Cradle2crayons 02:30 PM 05-18-2013
Originally Posted by itlw8:
The thing is if there are parenting skills and environment problems the meds won't fis the problem. The meds are a stimulant and ONLY calm and help people concentrate that have ADHD for other people it works as a stimulant .

give a normal child caffeine it hypes them up give a child with ADHD caffeine and it will actually calm them down.
That's exactly correct. If a child does not have true ADHD which in my thoughts is a true chemical issue, meds will not help them. It will just make them more hyper.
Reply
Leigh 05:27 PM 05-19-2013
Originally Posted by MN Mom:
In light of a few recent threads on behavior problems, I thought I'd share an interesting article I read yesterday!

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/...dont-have-adhd

Have a great weekend everybody!!!
Even the kids in the US are stressed out and overscheduled. I saw a study stating that many kids diagnosed with ADHD are actually just TIRED! Once kids previously diagnosed with ADHD started getting a good nights sleep, the diagnosis was effectively "cancelled". And I certainly can see it in my business. Kids getting to bed at 10:30 PM and up at 6AM....these kids are the ones who fight going down for their naps, then fight when you wake them up. Kids don't drag butt like we do when we are tired-they tend to get hyperactive (as any parent can attest to! )
Reply
Solandia 06:38 PM 05-19-2013
Originally Posted by itlw8:
The thing is if there are parenting skills and environment problems the meds won't fis the problem. The meds are a stimulant and ONLY calm and help people concentrate that have ADHD for other people it works as a stimulant .

give a normal child caffeine it hypes them up give a child with ADHD caffeine and it will actually calm them down.
Which, if one thinks about medicating with caffeine....more French kids than american kids have coffe in the morning(milky coffee, but still...) ... The French could be inadvertently medicating some of their ADHD kids and never know that the child is ADHD.
Reply
Live and Learn 07:34 PM 05-19-2013
Maybe the French are more tolerant of the natural energy of boys. They feed and exercise them in a way that manages the boys' energy?

I find it hard to believe that all of these (mostly) boys on ADHD meds really need it. Recent statistics state 1 in 5 American school age boys are now medicated.

Of course some people REALLY NEED the ADHD help. But 1 in 5?
Reply
Unregistered 08:07 PM 05-19-2013
Originally Posted by Cradle2crayons:
That's exactly correct. If a child does not have true ADHD which in my thoughts is a true chemical issue, meds will not help them. It will just make them more hyper.
Thank you!! I used to be one of the people who thought ADHD was a discipline issue- then I had a son with it!!! He was suddenly failing in school- he was well behaved but just wasn't getting it... Testing (which we expected to show that he had LD) showed signs of ADHD. The only reason it was caught was because the tester was observant-
He was put on meds (which was an extremely diff choice for me- ) and caught up- he is now in high school and a solid 80's student! Imagine with out those meds he would have been in a special school!!! Those meds allowed him to be fully who he is! And even at 15 you can surely tell the days he forgot his medication!
People who don't live it don't know- and IMO articles like this just put more of a stigma on parents choosing to treat or not.
Reply
Cradle2crayons 08:18 PM 05-19-2013
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
Thank you!! I used to be one of the people who thought ADHD was a discipline issue- then I had a son with it!!! He was suddenly failing in school- he was well behaved but just wasn't getting it... Testing (which we expected to show that he had LD) showed signs of ADHD. The only reason it was caught was because the tester was observant-
He was put on meds (which was an extremely diff choice for me- ) and caught up- he is now in high school and a solid 80's student! Imagine with out those meds he would have been in a special school!!! Those meds allowed him to be fully who he is! And even at 15 you can surely tell the days he forgot his medication!
People who don't live it don't know- and IMO articles like this just put more of a stigma on parents choosing to treat or not.
I totally get what you are saying. I was in denial for a while and when I finally got out of denial about my daughter I struggled about meds too. But I compare her on meds like a light switch. It took me about a week to really realize how different her life was on meds... For the better... Then I felt bad that I had let her miss out in life because I was hesitant about meds. Even though she has more than just ADHD I can't imagine where we would be without all three of her ADHD medications. She's 10 now.
Reply
Kaddidle Care 04:00 AM 05-20-2013
Very interesting article. I think you all realize that ADD and ADHD is over diagnosed here in the States. There are some children that will benefit from medication but I feel way too many are on it.

To the person that mentioned lack of sleep - you have a good point. My son that was diagnosed with it is a major sleeper. When he was a baby he slept 16 hours a day. In Kindergarten he came home and took a nap and to this day he does not do well if he doesn't have enough sleep. (he is in his early 20's)

Caffeine does nothing for him but make him irritable but I am glad to see they touched on the dietary topic. I hope that everyone that has their child on meds ruled out dietary issues first. My son still avoids peanut products as he knows it exacerbates his symptoms and makes him extremely cranky like he hasn't slept all night.

I am now watching food items again with my 2nd son because he sleep walks. Overtiredness is #1 cause but we are seeing a connection with red food dye as well.
Reply
AfterSchoolMom 04:43 AM 05-20-2013
On the sleeping thing - My ADHD son has a really hard time sleeping. It takes him several hours to settle down at night and he gets up really early. I definitely think there's a link there.
Reply
Cradle2crayons 04:53 AM 05-20-2013
Originally Posted by AfterSchoolMom:
On the sleeping thing - My ADHD son has a really hard time sleeping. It takes him several hours to settle down at night and he gets up really early. I definitely think there's a link there.
Mine used to as well. And on the nights she didn't get as much rest there was definitely clues the next day.

Then they out her in a medication that helps her rest (fall asleep quicker).. And she's been on it for 7 years now. Is a miracle worker.
Reply
GoodKarma 07:16 AM 05-20-2013
Thank you for sharing. That is a very interesting article.
Reply
Familycare71 07:17 AM 05-20-2013
Originally Posted by Cradle2crayons:
I totally get what you are saying. I was in denial for a while and when I finally got out of denial about my daughter I struggled about meds too. But I compare her on meds like a light switch. It took me about a week to really realize how different her life was on meds... For the better... Then I felt bad that I had let her miss out in life because I was hesitant about meds. Even though she has more than just ADHD I can't imagine where we would be without all three of her ADHD medications. She's 10 now.
Exactly!! I have dck that needs medication and her parents won't give her any! There has been NO change with diet. It breaks my heart to know that she could have such a better quality if her parents weren't so misinformed... She lives a life of frustration now .
I am just glad I had a Dr I trusted-

I didn't see any change with my son based on diet.
He used to sleep a ton as a baby and needed it! Now he takes melatonin to help him sleep on the nights he needs it- it isn't every night anymore
Reply
Willow 07:25 AM 05-20-2013
I think it's pretty accurate.

And it's not just the French, the comparison is largely the same in regards to the rest of the world as well.


Kids here struggle with a variety of "diagnoses" that are completely inflicted by poor parenting.

Not all, but I'd say for a majority that's absolutely the root cause.
Reply
itlw8 09:40 AM 05-20-2013
I dare any of you with perfect children to go tell the parent of a child with ADHD or autism or failure to thrive, LD ODD any of the alphabet soup out there......... there is nothing wrong with your child it is just poor parenting.

In my opinion many of those parents are 10x better parents than those with perfect children because of all they have to learn and deal with when they have a child that is not perfect.


As far as diet do you know how hard it is to remove ALL gluten dairy and dyes for the chance in a million it might help ?? Heck how many time do I hear someone here say I would NEVER take a child with food allergies.

Living with someone with ADHD is hard just ask my DIL heck I was glad ds grew up she has him for life.
Reply
Cradle2crayons 10:07 AM 05-20-2013
Originally Posted by itlw8:
I dare any of you with perfect children to go tell the parent of a child with ADHD or autism or failure to thrive, LD ODD any of the alphabet soup out there......... there is nothing wrong with your child it is just poor parenting.

In my opinion many of those parents are 10x better parents than those with perfect children because of all they have to learn and deal with when they have a child that is not perfect.


As far as diet do you know how hard it is to remove ALL gluten dairy and dyes for the chance in a million it might help ?? Heck how many time do I hear someone here say I would NEVER take a child with food allergies.

Living with someone with ADHD is hard just ask my DIL heck I was glad ds grew up she has him for life.
amen!! We tried various food eliminations when daughter was little and then again a little later. Nothing worked. And I agree...l all I learned with daughter made the baby boy even easier lol. Maybe just I had been through so much heck I'm just de sensitized lol
Reply
Familycare71 10:10 AM 05-20-2013
Originally Posted by itlw8:
I dare any of you with perfect children to go tell the parent of a child with ADHD or autism or failure to thrive, LD ODD any of the alphabet soup out there......... there is nothing wrong with your child it is just poor parenting.

In my opinion many of those parents are 10x better parents than those with perfect children because of all they have to learn and deal with when they have a child that is not perfect.


As far as diet do you know how hard it is to remove ALL gluten dairy and dyes for the chance in a million it might help ?? Heck how many time do I hear someone here say I would NEVER take a child with food allergies.

Living with someone with ADHD is hard just ask my DIL heck I was glad ds grew up she has him for life.

Amen!!! It is so frustrating and offensive to hear- but then I forgive- because I know it comes from ignorance!!
Reply
Kaddidle Care 11:16 AM 05-20-2013
Originally Posted by itlw8:
I dare any of you with perfect children to go tell the parent of a child with ADHD or autism or failure to thrive, LD ODD any of the alphabet soup out there......... there is nothing wrong with your child it is just poor parenting.
It's especially hard when family members refuse to believe the diagnosis. Especially a know-it-all Sister in Law who doesn't even have children but is the authority on everything.

My husband has it for sure - I have tendencies.. you have to laugh together about it - our typical one liner is.. "Ooh a shiny penny!"
Reply
Solandia 11:31 AM 05-20-2013
Originally Posted by Kaddidle Care:
It's especially hard when family members refuse to believe the diagnosis. Especially a know-it-all Sister in Law who doesn't even have children but is the authority on everything.

My husband has it for sure - I have tendencies.. you have to laugh together about it - our typical one liner is.. "Ooh a shiny penny!"
Our's is "Oooo- a piece of candy!", same idea. lol We don't have a dx, we are just bad parents since my dd does okay with school. I am amazed that she keeps it together at school (although she has an IEP for social issues), because she abso-freaking-lutely cannot at home. Completely off the wall.
Reply
itlw8 12:47 PM 05-20-2013
Originally Posted by Kaddidle Care:
- our typical one liner is.. "Ooh a shiny penny!"

too funny We always said OOHHHH a tv for ds... I swear they magically popped on if he walked by and you would find him standing there with his hand on the cabinet an hour later.... but yet concentrate on anything else no way.....
Reply
AfterSchoolMom 01:21 PM 05-20-2013
Originally Posted by Kaddidle Care:

My husband has it for sure - I have tendencies.. you have to laugh together about it - our typical one liner is.. "Ooh a shiny penny!"
Originally Posted by Solandia:
Our's is "Oooo- a piece of candy!", same idea. lol .

Ours is, "Squirrel!"

BTW, Solandia, I can't even read that without hearing it in my head as James Woods, lol.
Reply
Meyou 02:30 AM 05-21-2013
My opinion is that alot of ADHD symptoms can be alienated with a change in diet and exercise. Not all....there are some children that need medication but I feel these kids are much fewer and farther between than we see right now in society.

My dd is being effectively treated with a very strict whole food diet, ALOT of exercise (mostly playing outside) and a strict schedule and routine. This doesn't work for everyone but for her issues we saw night and day differences within 4 days of detoxing her system. I can tell instantly if she's eaten something she shouldn't now even if she lies about it. She literally goes from happy and reasonable to shrieky and wild. The pitch of her voice even changes. It amazes me that "food" can be so powerful even if very small amounts.
Reply
canadiancare 04:45 AM 05-21-2013
Years ago I read a book called Allergies and the Hyperactive Child. I truly believe that in many cases food and environmental allergies contribute to many of the issues facing our children today. Some people say that good amounts of animal fat is needed to keep our brains healthy and now that we have started going low fat on all our dairies it is changing the way the brain functions.
Reply
Willow 06:18 AM 05-21-2013
Originally Posted by Meyou:
My opinion is that alot of ADHD symptoms can be alienated with a change in diet and exercise. Not all....there are some children that need medication but I feel these kids are much fewer and farther between than we see right now in society.

My dd is being effectively treated with a very strict whole food diet, ALOT of exercise (mostly playing outside) and a strict schedule and routine. This doesn't work for everyone but for her issues we saw night and day differences within 4 days of detoxing her system. I can tell instantly if she's eaten something she shouldn't now even if she lies about it. She literally goes from happy and reasonable to shrieky and wild. The pitch of her voice even changes. It amazes me that "food" can be so powerful even if very small amounts.
I agree with this 1000%

I wish all parents would explore the effects processed foods have on their family.
Reply
Willow 06:19 AM 05-21-2013
Originally Posted by canadiancare:
Years ago I read a book called Allergies and the Hyperactive Child. I truly believe that in many cases food and environmental allergies contribute to many of the issues facing our children today. Some people say that good amounts of animal fat is needed to keep our brains healthy and now that we have started going low fat on all our dairies it is changing the way the brain functions.
This is a particularly fascinating theory to me....I may snoop around to see if I can find more about that.....
Reply
canadiancare 06:35 AM 05-21-2013
Originally Posted by Willow:
This is a particularly fascinating theory to me....I may snoop around to see if I can find more about that.....
Here is someone's essay http://people.csail.mit.edu/seneff/a..._fat_diet.html
Reply
Meyou 07:07 AM 05-21-2013
Originally Posted by Willow:
This is a particularly fascinating theory to me....I may snoop around to see if I can find more about that.....
Now I'm actually thinking that our change to full fat dairy etc (for whole food reasons) is actually an added benefit to dd. We changed to full fat everything when we made the switch.
Reply
Willow 07:07 AM 05-21-2013
Originally Posted by canadiancare:
Here is someone's essay http://people.csail.mit.edu/seneff/a..._fat_diet.html

Genius!!!!!

My only concern is, once the damage has been done, can it be reversed?


And I understand the genetic propensity, but wouldn't it make sense in our "melting pot" of a country that the problem be far less concentrated and not more?? Drives me nuts when people turn to that as an explanation when the opposite should be true. Because of the diversity this country has to offer the genetic component should have less of an impact, other countries should be suffering far more if that argument was all there was to it.
Reply
canadiancare 07:20 AM 05-21-2013
I've always done full fat everything yoghurt, sour cream, butter not margarine, homo milk etc. my 3 kids are grown/teens now and excel in school, can focus etc. I also don't use any diet products (full sugars over aspartame)

I have had countless teachers say "if I had 30 of your child my day would so easy"

I wish I had known this possible connection before.
Reply
Tags:add, adhd, behavior problems, child psychology, odd
Reply Up