Written by Editorial Team
Dealing with attention issues from a child is one of the toughest challenges faced by parents. Your child may exhibit behavior that demands too much attention. He may whine, squirm, or cry to get his point across. In this perspective, it is important to keep in mind the psychiatric diagnosis of ADHD. An acronym for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, ADHD identifies symptoms of both passivity and hyperactivity as a neurological condition.
However, before you begin fretting that your little one has a psychological issue, please note that it may be a fictitious disease! Who is telling this? Well, none other than the very ‘inventor’ of ADHD, Leon Eisenberg, is saying this. After decades of being responsible for drugging little children with the dangerous psychoactive drug Ritalin, Dr. Eisenberg finally confirmed in his deathbed confession that ADHD is a fictitious disease. You get the idea. Ritalin must have a market.
Did his confession serve anything? Perhaps not; doctors still diagnose kids with ADHD and prescribe Ritalin. In fact, your pediatric specialist may be totally unaware of this confession from the Father of ADHD! Parents must understand that neither the passivity nor their dynamic nature is a sign of a mental disorder. These are more the signs of inadequate parenting.
If your child is creating all sorts of dramas and ruling your household and social circles, it is time to stop it all. That said, how much attention is enough can be decided by only you. When you notice signs of dominance in your child, or when you see him competing for attention and centre stage, you need to demarcate a line between his ‘need’ for attention and ‘demand’ for attention. Similarly, you will figure out that the child misbehaves to get attention, because he feels if being good doesn’t get me attention, let me be bad and mischievous.
Children seek attention and approval from adults – from the first scribble to the first word, their centre of universe revolves around the parents. But as they grow up, they start fearing loss of that concern, and thus start vying for it. In this regard, it may be mentioned here that there are three kinds of attention-
Such children unfortunately may grow into egoistic, insensitive, and irresponsible adults. A recent case to conclude this observation is that of Texas teenager Ethan Couch who killed four pedestrians while drunk driving. His lawyer tried to explain his scenario as a medical condition called ‘Affluenza’ where a person becomes insensitive to human emotions due to money. Well, no money can ever bring back those four people who died under Ethan’s car on that fateful night
Sometimes, the attention seeking behavior may actually point to a valid medical issue. So, if your child is pooping all over the floor despite yours telling otherwise, take him to a doctor for a stomach checkup. Maybe, he is suffering from worms in his stomach! It can be anything, but nothing like a severe psychological disorder that requires drugging the child. If you want to know about the psychoactive effect of the drug, try popping one for yourself. See how you feel, and then think how a child’s body and mind will feel to it.
If you feel it is not working out, you may consult with a mental health professional to determine whether your child’s behavior falls within normal developmental limits. Professional counselors can also help you strategize your parenting styles and structures.
With a rich experience in pregnancy and parenting, our team of experts create insightful, well-curated, and easy-to-read content for our to-be-parents and parents at all stages of parenting.Read more.
D
Dr. Rachna
Dec 04, 2014
Nice one. Somehow sounds true.
Root Canal For Kids – Is it Safe?
10 Fun Indoor and Outdoor Relay Race Ideas For Kids
Top 10 Interesting Children’s Day Celebration Ideas
Top 100 Friendship and Learning Quotes For Preschoolers
Slapped Cheek Syndrome(Fifth Disease) in Children – What is it, Symptoms and Tips to Prevent
Top 5 Short Mahabharata Stories For Kids in English
Get regular updates, great recommendations and other right stuff at the right time.