I posted this......

[Kaiti]

In the support section, but wanted to put it here too.

Mikey's teacher came up to me the first day of school...of course I was running the other way ;D

ANY HOW I think that she realizes that we are really serious about being med free. I do NOT say this to launch an attack on meds....DO NOT TAKEN IT THAT WAY OR I WILL DELETE YOUR POST......NO BASHING ALLOWED.

Anyhow, she told me that she had a relative of some sort that followed Feingold years ago and he, the son, is now an airline pilot

I am hoping upon hopes that this teacher meant what she said about looking for things that would help him.

Wish us luck

[catatonic]

Kaiti, you're very lucky to have a supportive teacher. I was talking to a friend who moved here recently from China and she was expressing her shock that so many American children are medicated for ADHD rather than the teachers accepting individual differences and adapting their teaching styles. Made me want to move to China, I tell you!

Challenge Boy's teacher last year commented on his lack of organizational skills and suggested maybe he needed his medication adjusted. I gave her one of "those looks"...you know, the kind that bores burning holes into someone's head...and told her "I don't think medicating him will teach him any new organizational skills. Maybe we should focus on teaching him the skills he needs." I was perfectly polite, but she got the point. Didn't bring up medicating my son again! (She had a 4-year-old on ADHD meds. A 4-year-old, imagine!)

So I hope things work out well with the teacher. Maybe you won't have to run away from this one!

[Kaiti]

Thanks Catatonic, I truly feel that with her understanding now that we aren't just talking that she will do the best that she can.

My daughter had her for a teacher, and from conversations that we've had in the past, she embraces the different learning styles and understands that not everyone learns at the same level, style, etc.

She is old school and very experienced. She has the patience that I know the kids need when it comes to not being the easiest learners.

I did include the Feingold website in the e-mail that I sent everyone who would be involved with Mikey, and she said she would go there and see if she could get bits and pieces and try to figure from there

[mothercat]

Kaiti ..can you send me a link to the website..I know very little about the natural side of it all ..if I can learn anything it would help.. I mean we use meds but would it mean maybe we could use "less" meds...at this point to get Jared settled down I think we would have to knock him out ;D so we are looking for alternative "anything" that will help. I have seen what having the "wrong " foods does to the little squirt..

[catatonic]

mothercat, take a look here:
www.feingold.org

Dietary changes have made enormous changes in my son's behavior, especially the "acting out" kinds of things. No more tantrums, migraines, bedwetting, vocal tics...much less hyper and oppositional. From what I've read on the Feingold support board, many if not most of the kids are able to do without medication completely, and others find they can use a very low dose, to help them function at school mostly. It takes a big commitment to make it work, but I've never regretted it. (Okay, maybe occasionally when I realize I've forgotten to make bread and am up at 2a.m. loading the bread machine I have some regrets!)

An added bonus...once you get past the initial transition phase where you're buying lots of expensive natural "junk" to replace all those things you feel deprived of, and settle into preparing and eating foods that come from actual ingredients, the grocery bill drops quite a bit. I'm feeding a family of 6 on about $600 a month, which I think is pretty decent. It would be quite a bit less if it weren't for the lunchbox items like individual asceptic chocolate milks and fruit cups. That stuff adds up fast!

[Kaiti]

Thanks for getting that site up.

I haven't done the home made bread yet, but am about ready to. As soon as I purge my other handy kitchen appliances that I use maybe once every 2-3 months ;D

As far as the snacks, I an el cheapo and send it in a container....but might not be anymore when I am running out of containers. Last year I gave up and sent him with a whole can of pineapple :oAnd he ate all of it....the juice took the place of his milk he would have bought

Anything that might help you Mothercat, you should at least give it a try, if it works great, if not, back to the drawing board.

I have to say that since I grew up and continue to can things it hasn't been as bad as what I had heard.....except for the part about the tomatoes, as Mikey loves them :-/SO it might not be too bad on you if you can yourself and bake anyhow.

Good luck

[mothercat]

I looked at the site and it was very interesting..
now I have to wonder...when Jared sneaks off it is to buy the snack cakes that are mostly preservative...you know the 25 cent variety..and he has gotten way worse..I bake most the winter and we mainly use fresh vegi's.. the only juice I actually give the kids is the stuff my mom gives them...(my kids have always had bad diahrea from juice)..the fruit is either fresh or ours from the peach tree, rasberries from the vine or strawberries....I can alot too...I am gonna start reading labels alot more...it cant hurt...

[Kaiti]

From past experiences, Mikey can't do berries AT ALL, he gets really nasty.

Its the salycitates. We are still workin gon getting him back with tomatoes, but he gets so whiney when he has a tomato product

Canning is the best in my eyes. As a matter of fact, my butt shoul dreally be snapping a couple of bushels of beans my Pop-pop dropped off to me. I love my Pop-pop, he's got a friend with a mojor farm in the area, so he stops by there and picks us up a coupl ebuscles if the y can be spared. So as payment to Pop-pop, I get him a few dozen pints for winter

Anyhow, feel free to e-mail me if you want to, or IM, don't much matter.

Good Luck
[e-mail]
Take care
Kaiti