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We should not medicate the boys so they fit the school; we should change the school to fit the boy. (Leonard Sax, M.D. Ph.D)

If it  was going to be easy to raise kids, it never would have started with something called "labour".

"The thing that impresses me most about North America is the way parents obey their children"    (King Edward VII , 1841-1910)

Whining and crying are employed by kids for the purpose of getting something. If it works, then it was worth the effort and will be repeated.

Parenting style matters - a lot!

It is what we say and do when we're angry that creates the very model our children will follow when dealing with their own frustrations.

The quickest way to change your child’s behaviour is to first change your own.

The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice. (Peggy O'Mara)

Setting limits teaches your children valuable skills they will use the rest of their lives. One day, they will report to a job where their ability to follow rules will dictate their success.

A tantruming toddler is a little ball of writhing muscle and incredible strength. It's like trying to carry a greased pig past a slop bucket.

Learn more.

Ritalin – the good, the bad and the ugly

Next – the ugly

The abuse potential for stimulant medications are real. When used in the doctor prescribed manner and dosage there is little danger in this regard, however when “snorted” the effects are reported to be similar to snorting cocaine. In fact cocaine and methylphenidate (Ritalin) are very closely related.

Larger doses give feelings of:

  • euphoria
  • more energy / power
  • sense of power
  • mental sharpness

As the effects wear off there is:

  • heightened fatigue
  • poor concentration
  • irritability
  • depression
  • craving for more

Persistent abuse can lead to:

  • psychotic episodes
  • paranoid behaviour
  • hallucinations
  • bizarre behaviour
  • sudden death

Most people do not view stimulant medications as potentially dangerous or unsafe because it is prescribed to children. This assumption is incorrect as there are over 150 studies documenting abuse problems with amphetamine. The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics – 1997 states “Ritalin is a highly addictive drug”

So does Ritalin use predispose an individual to later drug abuse?

There is no conclusive answer to this question as valid studies support both possible answers. What is clear however is that stimulant medications do not cure ADD / ADHD. They can reduce the symptoms as long as it remains active in the body . There is no evidence of long term improvement as a result of stimulant medication alone.

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Workshops

+ Behaviour Management (now available online)

This full day or 2 evening workshop will introduce you […]

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+ A Parent’s Guide to the Teenage Brain

  A teenager’s brain is not just an adult brain […]

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+ Reading Rescue

A program for children with reading problems

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+ A Guided Tour of ADHD (now available online)

This workshop will present the facts, myths, misconceptions, controversy and […]

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Contact

2720 Rath Street, Putnam, Ontario
NOL 2BO

Phone: (519) 485-4678
Fax: (519) 485-0281

Email: info@rickharper.ca

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Parents' Comments

“I am no longer overwhelmed with a child who has unending discipline and behaviour problems.”

(P.S. – London)