I am thinking....is this ADHD epidemic exacerbated by the fact extended families no longer exist? Despite my having a rather dysfunctional extended family, they were still available to watch me and GIVE me as a child, another perspective on how to relate and exist in the world. Now, kids and parents see each other with little reprieve except for organized sports/activities. (Since we all moved far to get away from the dysfunctality!) When we get home, we zone out via screens...computers, videos, nintendos, etc. so there is little eye contact. No eye contact during car travel, no eye contact during home, ...and dull chalkboards at school....maybe our kids are desperate for real interactions.....not to blame parents, like myself (one 12 yr old on Concerta and one 9 year with possible "anxiety"), but maybe we all need to link together more -literally, have guests for dinner and create communities that last and care for the kids so they are not constantly anxious about the endangered health of every species that they learn about at school, and war, etc, ....when are they happy???? They are Stressed, and tuned out....and in an empty world. The worse the kids act up the less likely we invite people into our personal homes, the more isolated we all become. It might sound simplistic....and I do believe there is more going on with food additives, and pollution effecting our nervous systems, but it seems that if we had front porches to sit out and greet OUR neighbors, rather than back decks we hide from the world from, we would be better off. No one is perfect, and all the tv we watch makes us just feel more "wrong" when our kid is "ADHD."
Thanks for listening.
--Andrew Jackson
