But wait, that's not all! There was more that DH & I did with our family than just change what we ate. Edible intake was a huge portion, but that alone didn't 'fix' everything for DS1 and his possible ADD or ADHD.
That kid (well, all our kids, and I truly believe every kid in the world) thrived on structure. Now, I don't mean over scheduling and micro-managing his time. No, it's simpler than that. Having a consistent time that he woke up, had breakfast (never, ever, go without breakfast--doesn't matter if you are a child or an adult, eat your breakfast!), went to school, came home from school, played, did homework, had dinner, played some more, took a bath, went through the bedtime routine, and went to bed every single day, allowed him to focus on what he was supposed to do when. Plus, regular and consistent sleep is a huge benefit to brain function, no matter who you are. There weren't fights and meltdowns over homework (usually), because he knew what portion of his evening he had to sit down and do it. There was no use arguing, this time slot was homework time. And the sooner it was done, the more play time he had. (*side note* I really and truly believe that DS2 watched and learned from his brother's experience with school work. DS2 was 4 grades younger, and it was his personal goal to never have homework. If he could get all his assignments done at school, or on the ride home from school that was his plan. He got almost to high school homework-free with this mindset.)
I always gave my kids a snack (both solid and liquid) and at least a half-hour of play time when they got home from school. Didn't matter how much homework there was that day, first order of business upon arriving home was to have something to eat and drink, then go outside and run around (weather permitting--basically if it wasn't down pouring, thunder storming, or wind chills below zero) for at least a half-hour. I firmly believe kids need to decompress a little after being cooped up in a classroom. Their bodies need refueling and a good blood-pumping bit of physical activity, then their brains will be better able to focus on any necessary homework. The amount of time spent on homework varied by child, and even by the day. The less homework, the more play time; because the only things they had going on (when everyone was in elementary school) after school was dinner, chores, homework and play time.
Something that always grated on me, and honestly still does, is the common practice in schools to take away recess time for undesirable behavior in the classroom or for not having assignments finished on time. Especially in young children. Making them sit still even longer during the day, and not having that short bit of physical activity doesn't really make them have an easier time not being wiggly, or grumpy, or help them think through their work better. Everyone needs a break to stretch now and then; we all come back refreshed and ready to tackle the next task. My preference would be more towards having sentences to copy ("I will sit still" or "I will be quiet" or "I will be nice to my classmates") or an short essay to write ("Why it's rude to talk back to the teacher" or "Why it hurt Joey's feelings when I pushed him" or "Why it's a distraction when I keep falling out of my chair") for older kids rather than being punished by missing the physical and mental break of recess. Anyway. . .
In addition to the play time, if DS1 was having a particularly rough day body-wise, I would assign him laps. Meaning he either had to walk, or run (depending on how much 'steam' I felt he needed to burn off) a certain number of times around the outside of our house. These could even be done in the dark (such as in the winter when the sun was down about an hour after we returned from school) because he was following the walls of the building and not going far out into the yard or near the street where I might not be able to keep an eye on him (for anyone leery of having their child approached by strangers in cars. . . )
In the summer, the daily routine changed, of course, since there weren't six to seven hours of being away at school during the day. Instead, there would be reading time, drawing/coloring time, helping to cook, bike riding time, etc. We would go to the library, or the beach (weather permitting) on a particular time on a particular day each week. Same with grocery shopping. It was predictable, and reliable, and DS1 (as well as the other kids) knew when it was coming and what to expect (and how he was expected to behave or what he was expected to do). There is a great deal of comfort for kids in having a routine and knowing what is going to happen next.
So we've got nutrition, structure, free time (play) and physical exercise all helping to manage DS1's tendency toward ADHD type behaviors. But wait, that's not all! Limitations on screen time also helped.
Now, this was back in 1998, remember, that I started this whole big research project into what would help DS1 with his energetics, noise, and other behaviors that were creating the whole "Does he have ADD/ADHD? Does he need medicating?" question. There were no such thing as smart phones or tablets back then. Laptops really were a business thing, not a home computer. And not all homes had computers. We didn't get our first computer at home until 'Santa' brought the whole family one for Christmas that year. We didn't own a video game system, either. So most of my kids' screen exposure was the television. And I was the TV Nazi, let me tell you! Even as a child, I wasn't too impressed with TV, and I've never really been an avid watcher of television. I remember being about ten years old when I stopped watching cartoons, because I felt they insulted my intelligence. The three stooges? Puh-leeze. Soap operas? Really? I mean, seriously, does that represent anyone's real life? Give me something that I could apply to my own life and benefit from. (Yes, I do love documentaries and other types of educational programs. You probably were wondering. . . )
My poor kids were allowed to watch 30 minutes per day of cartoons and that was only the ones on PBS (we've never had cable or satellite TV). Not every day, but some days, they could also watch one video, which was typically something by Disney. A "long" movie might be an entire 90 minutes of eyes glued to the television, which they felt was a huge treat.
Might sound like cruel and unusual punishment compared to the amount of screen time kids get these days, but you know what? It gave them more time for outdoor play, sports, reading, playing board games or doing puzzles, or just interacting with each other, their friends, and DH & I.
When we did, eventually, acquire a home computer and a video game system, their individual screen time increased by another 30 minutes. They could now watch 30 min of TV and spend either 30 min on the computer (playing the few computer games we owned, all of which were probably considered educational) or playing a video game (also monitored for acceptability before being purchased).
Sounds harsh, yes? It worked. On the occasion where DH or I got lenient with the times and allowed TV, movie, computer or video game binge-ing, behavior went into the toilet quickly. Then we all suffered: DS1 (or whichever child was zombified by screens), DH and I all had to pay the price of doing screen detox and getting back on track. And, now, many years later when all my kids are adults, I have to say that they all are very good at entertaining themselves without having to be glued to a screen. They all, even DS1, are good at time management. They all have in internal monitor which tells them when they haven't been physically active enough and need to slot in some time to move around or get outside
Hopefully these posts been more than a trip down memory lane for me and a (maybe) somewhat interesting story for you to read. If you, or anyone you know (your child, for instance), struggles with possible ADD/ADHD or behavioral issues (constant motion, talking a lot), it can't hurt to try changing your diet for a month or two and see what happens. Structure and consistency help a lot also, as well as the opportunity to be physically active numerous times a day. Screen time can be beneficial when the right sorts of things are on the screen, for limited times, but can also be a downward spiral of sluggishness, grumpiness, and other undesirable traits when used too long or for the wrong sorts of things.
If you are someone facing ADD/ADHD in your life, I wish you luck. Don't give up, and don't get discouraged. You can experiment and learn what things help, and which things make life more challenging for you. You can learn to be in control of it, and not let it control you quite so much.
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