Would you give your child medication to keep him quiet?

Could not agree with you more. The amount of stories I have read in weekly mags that start with 'I set out the breakfast of milky coffee and biscuits' or 'Cocopops and juice' Then continue to state how badly behaved their child is. Is it any surprise with the junk the parents are feeding them. Before doctors dole out drugs to children they should look at the parenting skills. I'm sure they'll find them completely lacking.

Yes, in a word. No one knows what it's like to have a child with ADHD unless they have been around one, or had one. When my son was six weeks old my husband left me. I thought the reason my son only slept half hour at a time was because I was upset. So I didn't question it too much, I was feeding him myself until he was 7 months old. Then he had only natural home-made foods and only water to drink, he never had sweets,ever, but he was still hyper. The doctors all said he was lively, but they never saw what he was like in shops or at home where he would tear around, never stopping and never thinking about what he was doing. He didn't sleep even when he started school. His behaviour was abismal there, but still the doctors refused to send him to a specialist. It wasn't until I was at my wits end with him, telling my mum that I wanted to have him put in foster care because I couldn't cope, (he was 10 years old) That the doctors finally agreed because the school had complained by this time,that they gave him a diagnosis of, ADHD. And yes I did give him drugs to calm him down and they worked! So we finally began to get on and he was able to concentrate at last. Now at 20 he moved nearly 400 miles away and is living a wonderful life, he's about to go travelling around Austalia with a group of friends. Something he never even had, was friends. He came of the drugs when he finished his GCSE's. He is a wonderful young man now.

There is no yes or no answer to the question. It all depends on the whys and wherefores. First check what they are eating and cut out foods that can make a child hyper. I had a book called E For Additives to help me. My son, when 4 years old was hyperactive when eating wheatabix, oranges, tomatos, dries fruit, All natural food. When I took them all out of his diet he was a changed child within 4 days who told me 'you know when it is really, really windy mummy and you get a little afraid, I feel as if the wind in my tummy has stopped'. And that from a four year old. See the family doctor. If no joy and you still feel something is wrong (you know more about your own child than anybody else in the whole wide world)ask to see a dietetian and pedratician. Take thier advice and if they feel a sedative of sorts is needed then take their advice. See if they will 'take the fear and the wind out of your childs tummy'

I think unless you have had a child with ADHD/Autism then it is easy for people to say how awful it is to give them medication, but swap places for a week and see how you cope.In hind sight we are all good at passing opinions the option of medicating a child is not to keep them quiet but to help control impulsive behaviours and not a decision taken by a responsible parent lightly.

I whole heartedly agree with giving medication to children with ADHD. My son started on equasym just a month ago and the difference is unbelievable.Its not a case of keeping a child quiet its a case of ensuring your child is able to function in society and hasa better quality of life. I went through the whole panicking thinking i was doing the wrong thing for him but now im glad i decided to give it a try. Anyone without a child with the condition can't pass judgement-its the most difficult thing to live with. When your own son punches and kicks you out of sheer frustration and tells you he hates you all the time its horrendous.(and this is all from a 6 year old-imagine if he was older or bigger). I am eagerly awaiting to hear from his teachers when he goes to school as i know his education will improve-he is so much more focussed and no longer as impulsive. i was really worried that he would turn into a zombie but that simply isn't the case. obviously medication doesn't suit all cases but for our son its worked brilliantly.

If a child suffers with Autism or any other medical condition then surely they are prescribed the correct medication by their GP, but nobody should just give any kind of medication just for a quiet life it's too dangerous and if anyone really cannot cope to the extent that they feel they need to do so then they should seek help.

This article has angered me so much-the mother concerned clearly has done what is best for her child and because of the way the story has been portrayed she is going to get nothing but grief. It is shown in some of the comments on this forum how naive people are when it comes to understanding the reasons for giving drugs to a child.

my son is 13 and has been on equasym since he was 4, he was perfectly 'normal' until he had his MMR vaccine at 12 months old, and within 2 weeks of having it he developed ADHD, ASD and emotional & behavioural problems. without his medication he would not be here now as when we have tried to lower his dose he gets suicidal, and totally out of control. his father and i divorced as he told me, "to get rid of him, as he's no good to man nor beast!". my son is my world, i have totally raised him alone and am very proud of what a wonderful young man he is. Yes i would dearly love not to give him medication, but there seritonin levels are different, and he also wants to take the medication because he says he knows he needs them. so unless you are faced with the situation i do not feel you are able to judge.

Pixi, you obviously have not lived with a child who has Adhd. My son is now 9 years old and was diagnosed with Adhd 2 years ago. He has never slept well, as a baby no more than 1 hour at a time. His dad left me when my son was 6 weeks old, I also have another son 14 months older. As a baby he was quiet always looking at his brother playing and gurgling to himself. Then he had his mmr jabs and within weeks he was a whingy whiney baby never settled, he was a late developer didnt speak or walk till 20 months old, (my other son walked and spoke by 8 months). When my son was finally diagnosed with Adhd, a weight was lifted off my shoulders, I blamed myself for his bad behaviour as he didnt have his dad about, he never paid anymore attention to the boys, and to date they still dont have contact. I was reluctant to start equasim xl (ritalin) to begin with, until I read the adhd nurses report that she did at school. My son could not sit still or concerntrate for more than 30 seconds at a time, his life was suffering as he was always moving about in quiet time the other kids started to pick on him. He was often falling out having fights and became quite miserable at school. Then he began to have ticks when he got anxious and had a bad accident on his bike. He said as the handle bars felt different he had to bite each finger in turn and rub his chest 3 times, he fell off and got road burn down his shoulders and wrist and left had side of his body. His head hit the kerb stone and he cut his temple as his helmet came off. I decided to speak to the hospital Doctor again and put him on equasim. He was also perscribed bio melotonin to aid sleep and now takes 6mg daily. He was also a very fussy eater only drinking milk or water and cheerios for breakfast. would only eat brown bread and ham, no butter and the only meat he will eat is chicken or sausages, the only potatoes is boiled and the only vegtables he will eat are raw carrot or green beans. so it had nothing to do with his diet why he was so hyper all the time. The equasim didnt help and after a year he had not gained any weight. The hospital changed his tablets and he is now on strattera 27mg daily and he is still very slight for his age, he is also 2 years behind at school and the school wont give him one to one help as he is not naughty in class now, Adhd has really effected his life as he can not ignore other children when they are nasty to him and is getting violent now. I worry that one day he will get badly injured or even killed. He still has trouble doing simple daily routines like bathing, cleaning his teeth, dressing, crossing the road, walking by my side, using his cutlery correctly. With medication he has improved and I hope by the time he reaches his teens he can do alot more by himself. It is not the parenting skills. My older son is fine, but gets depressed as he doesnt get to spend as much time with me as his brother needs alot of assistance in his life still. We cant do family trips to the beach or the park as he is so impulsive he runs off, so my other son is missing out on normal childhood life. I have had to think about the whole family, I did not take my decision lightly to allow him to be on Drugs at such a young age, but if it means we eventually get to lead a more "normal" life then I have made the correct decision. Since changing his medication my son says his head doesnt feel mixed up anymore he said it was like lots of lorries driving in his head and he couldnt get past. The drugs must be doing something to help him and he is now gradually gaining weight.

I have not only lived with a child with adhd. I am now living with an adult with adhd.

If you give your child medication just to keep them quiet is wrong, it's ok if the doctor prescribes medication thats for them but if you give your child something not prescribed to them it could be lethal.

i did give my son medication to not only keep him quiet bt to keep him calm as well my son suffered with adhd and aspergers syndrome in primary school he was written off the teachers didnt even put him in to the sats saying that he wasnt capable of doing them but he was medicated and i changed his school and he went on to become head boy and do well in his gcse exams because of the attitudes of others my child could have failed but because of the right meds he was given the same chance as others

The people saying no have obviously never been around a child with ADHD. The wording for the poll is poor, it is not about keeping a child quiet. It gives them a better life without the medication most of these children struggle with what we consider to be everyday life. They can not socialise with their peers, can not learn due to a lack of concentration. They can be quite violent without medication and disrupptive and when they are calm they offten feel guilty about the way they have behaved but express that they have no control over what they are doing. It is not fair to the child their peers or their families to leave it untreated. These children are usually very loving but are often pushed away as they are misunderstood.

i have an autistic child who also has attention deficit disorder. she has been taking two different sorts of medication for this for 6 years. without the medication our family life is horrendous, believe me i try every year to wean her off her meds but ultimately she has a better quality of life with her meds then without them. as an adult who also has a diagnosis of aspergers and manages without medication i can see both sides but my daughters needs come first and she needs medication to help her sleep and to help her maintain a "normal" behaviour level.

No, I would definitely not give my child medication to keep him quiet. you don't know why he is crying or wingeing. Administering medication could mask the symptoms of something serious, which could lead to a more severe illness if left untreated.

everyone has there own opinions!! but if u have a child with adhd you want the best for him an for my son an family i started him on concerta he also takes equasym he has been taking it since he was 6 years old. he is now 15 , in a mainstream school also in an A class not bad for a child with adhd.he is going to be taking his GCSE's this year, an the tablets have really helped him concentrate an settle down.. so dont judge us for giving our children medication if it helps my son like any mother i would do anything for him wouldnt you????? as for parenting skills please tell me has any of us got a manual?? we do our best for our children and what is best for our familys. im very very proud of my son and i tell him every day i love him and the best bit no more bruises an cuts or tantrums just lots of hugs .

Hi Pixi, thank for your comment. My name is Amy and I am one of the writers at that's life! I would like to speak to you about your comment, would you be able to email me on amy.rowland@bauer.co.uk or call me on 0207 241 8484. Thanks, Amy.