5/27/06 "Il pochi il fiero i blabbermouths" We *will* sail again Part 4

[ohiominnie]

The ones our kids have are like small Day-timers...a daily calender with room to write assignments. Even a composition book would work.

I got one for KT this year b/c she needs to take more responsibility for doing her work independantly....
It is Christian themed, but I LOVE the way it's set up. She has done a PHENOMENAL job working on her own this year and being motivated (apparently she likes to check things off lists as much as I do)

It was ONLY $10 on the internet and that includes shipping....

http://www.godswordintime.com/home.html click on "interactive planner"

 

[ohiominnie]

but I got Taylor started on Concerta and it seemed to help.

Nick is on this too. It helps to an extent, but we still have issues. Even ON the medication it can take him 30 minutes to do 5 math problems and it's not b/c he doesn't understand math....he's a whiz at it. He's just so busy bouncing, and looking at the window and picking at something on his finger and doodling, that he by the time he looks at the math paper he can't even remember what he's supposed to do.

Mike was telling me about a new drug that is out...Focalin. Supposed to be a more steady release of the medication and hardly ANY side effects (poor sleep, decreased appetite, etc) Of course, I just FILLED Nick's prescription so it'll have to wait a month.

I will say, Nick is a MUCH funnier kid when he's off the medication---so he's always off on vacation b/c the things he says just keep us in stitches. More spontaneous and impulsive, but then again, when I'm not trying to teach, that's not a bad thing!

 

[ohiominnie]

I don't think I've EVER gotten something I hated for Christmas... strange, but true!

I'll ship all of the things we get from Mike's dad and step mom to you then!

Like the jeans 12 or so years ago that one leg was 8 inches longer than the other!!!!

 

[ohiominnie]

HELLO?

I can take a hint!

cya!

 

[dzneprincess]

I've found that removing all "screen" is the BEST way to motivate my kids.....no gameboy, no Playstation, no TV, no computer!!! ACK! They'll do ANYTHING to keep those privledges. The hard part is following through. I hate when I take away TV and then around 3:30 I'm DYING to let them watch something for my OWN sanity!!!!

She is currently on no screen time restriction...she gets upset when we ground her but it is like she doesnt remember what it is like or something.....

 

[dzneprincess]

Mike deals with this a LOT at work....parents basically tell him what you just said....and he says that there has GOT to be ONE thing that they love more than anything that they don't want to give up.....phone, TV, friends over, clean underwear (just kidding)...

Anyway....threaten to take that away if xyz isn't done. And then, the hard part, if xyz isn't done...FOLLOW THROUGH! Take it away....keep it away for the set time (no phone for 1 week, whatever...)

They have to know you're serious and mean business. If they can find any crack, they'll break you!!!

I guess I just havent found that thing....I have put her on TV restriciton, nintendo gamecube and boy restriction, I have confiscated her music CD's. She loves to listen to music... I have even threatened to stop "rewarding" her with trips and will start to leave her behind....she puts up an act at the time that a punishment is doled out, but then once she gets over it, its like it does not bother her anymore.....We recently (her ped and I) upped her Concerta dose from 18 mg to 36 mg...I am wondering if we need to go back and get it uped again? I hate to do that because I am on the fence with the whole medication thing. I only did it in the first place, to see if it made life any easier for HER. SHe says it does help her in school....

 

[dzneprincess]

AND....then the school can qualify for the extra money....

really? I did not know that....She was serviced by a EIP teacher in 1st grade, but not in 2nd grade.

 

[dzneprincess]

I got one for KT this year b/c she needs to take more responsibility for doing her work independantly....
It is Christian themed, but I LOVE the way it's set up. She has done a PHENOMENAL job working on her own this year and being motivated (apparently she likes to check things off lists as much as I do)

It was ONLY $10 on the internet and that includes shipping....

http://www.godswordintime.com/home.html click on "interactive planner"

Thank you, that is almot like what she has now. I bought her a dayplanner dail assg pad, but it just has one large block for everyday instead of sep lines for each subject. I am going to look for something like that this weekend. But then the problem comes in that she does not keep up with it........

 

[dzneprincess]

Nick is on this too. It helps to an extent, but we still have issues. Even ON the medication it can take him 30 minutes to do 5 math problems and it's not b/c he doesn't understand math....he's a whiz at it. He's just so busy bouncing, and looking at the window and picking at something on his finger and doodling, that he by the time he looks at the math paper he can't even remember what he's supposed to do.

Mike was telling me about a new drug that is out...Focalin. Supposed to be a more steady release of the medication and hardly ANY side effects (poor sleep, decreased appetite, etc) Of course, I just FILLED Nick's prescription so it'll have to wait a month.

I will say, Nick is a MUCH funnier kid when he's off the medication---so he's always off on vacation b/c the things he says just keep us in stitches. More spontaneous and impulsive, but then again, when I'm not trying to teach, that's not a bad thing!

Funny you should mention this.because we do not medicate Taylor on the weekends or during the summer basically on the no school days. I wonder sometimes if this is doing more harm than good. I have a 90 day supply of concerta right now, will you please let me know how the new med is, if yall decide to go with it?

 

[ohiominnie]

Funny you should mention this.because we do not medicate Taylor on the weekends or during the summer basically on the no school days. I wonder sometimes if this is doing more harm than good. I have a 90 day supply of concerta right now, will you please let me know how the new med is, if yall decide to go with it?

We used to not medicate Nick on the weekends, but his problem is two fold...inattention and impulse control. Now, his impulses are not to do anything dangerous....he doesn't think "hey, I can wear roller blades down the stairs"....rather, his impulses involve irritating his sister to no end. Sure, irritation is a sibling thing, but he will constantly be picking and being annoying. To the point where it is constant yelling and tears between the two of them.

We do not medicate on vacation for two reasons...#1, he never gets his money's worth off of buffets when he's on the medication---plus it's a good opportunity to pack on calories he's been missing out on, and #2, with all of the distraction of a place like WDW, it keeps his brain busy enough that the constant stimulation actually helps him....it's like he doesn't HAVE to focus on any one thing, so he's in his own element! Maybe we can get the doctor to write a script that we have to LIVE at WDW! Think insurance will pay for that?

 

[ohiominnie]

well, off to bed for me. I've had more trouble with migraines lately....not full fledged ones, but the vision change and nausea aura and a mild headache. I'm beginning to question my decision to switch to Coke Zero with it's aspartame. Hmmmm.....

 

[justmestace]

Checking in from the ballgames....sorry you aren't feeling good, Ohminnie! I wondered why you were so quiet today! Feel better!

 

[Dancind]

she doesnt know about the cruise...The thing about her is that she has no fear of consequences..It is like it makes no difference to her...

Amanda, I'm catching up on posts. But I have one of those kids too. Do you have a diagnosis of ADD? If not, get one, then you can ask the school for a 504 plan. Which will spell out accommodations for Taylor, including the teacher signing off on her planner. Good luck with that, we're still fighting that battle. The other thing I do , which has always worked very well, is bribery. It's got to be short term though, day to day or week to week at the longest. Penalties don't really work, especially something as far away as the cruise.

 

[Dancind]

Nick is on this too. It helps to an extent, but we still have issues. Even ON the medication it can take him 30 minutes to do 5 math problems and it's not b/c he doesn't understand math....he's a whiz at it. He's just so busy bouncing, and looking at the window and picking at something on his finger and doodling, that he by the time he looks at the math paper he can't even remember what he's supposed to do.

Mike was telling me about a new drug that is out...Focalin. Supposed to be a more steady release of the medication and hardly ANY side effects (poor sleep, decreased appetite, etc) Of course, I just FILLED Nick's prescription so it'll have to wait a month.

I will say, Nick is a MUCH funnier kid when he's off the medication---so he's always off on vacation b/c the things he says just keep us in stitches. More spontaneous and impulsive, but then again, when I'm not trying to teach, that's not a bad thing!

But some kids just can't take the meds at all. Alicia was on them until the summer before 8th grade. They worked well in grade school, but as she hit puberty things went downhill fast. Took me a while to figure it out, but the meds were causing depression and anxiety, and when we tried different meds, the effects were much worse. My nephew gets the same effect from them, so he hasn't been taking them either. Magic pills are great, but not when the kids wind up with doctors wanting to give them anti-depressants on top of them.

The higher the dose, the more likely they are to have these types of side effects.

 

[Dancind]

OK, finished reading. Amanda, you need to insist that Taylor has an IEP/504 and they stick to it! They're messing with your legal rights here! Alicia's school always claimed that since she wasn't failing (she's a spectacular compensator, gifted), she didn't qualify for any services. But if Taylor isn't doing homework, she IS failing, so she qualifies. You can ask them to put almost anything you want in that plan, and one thing you should specify is teacher choice. And then pick one that will help her!

One trick we learned, take Dad to school for one of the meetings. For some reason, grumpy Dads intimidate most school personnel way more than Mom ever does (sorry Fran).

 

[Dancind]

Again, I can't emphasize enough, bribery works! John Rosemond would never approve, but I firmly believe he didn't raise any kids like ours!

 

[Dancind]

well, off to bed for me. I've had more trouble with migraines lately....not full fledged ones, but the vision change and nausea aura and a mild headache. I'm beginning to question my decision to switch to Coke Zero with it's aspartame. Hmmmm.....

I think you might be on the right track. Just heard a snitch of a story on our news, something about our state (or maybe it was the school system) banning aspartame. Feel better.

No more news about my nephew Sean tonight. Hoping no news is good news.

 

[justmestace]

I don't think I've EVER gotten something I hated for Christmas... strange, but true!

You would have, if you had my mother in law!!

 

[justmestace]

I'd heard on the news a while back that they are saying aspartame is causing all kinds of problems for people....yet, years ago, my OB told me "absolutely no" diet soda at all....said the aspartame was bad for me and the baby. What did he know back then that they had to pay for a study now??
It was neither here nor there for me, one sip of it and I get really sick to my stomach.

 

[justmestace]

I can now guarantee you that I won't be using the Treo for any lengthy DIS-ing...those buttons and the screen are sooooo small! But it is pretty nifty.

Still haven't managed to sign into my mailbox...but I'll get there.
I'm thinking that once I get used to it, I may be hooked!! (Thanks, Virgil! )

Good night everyone!

Good morning, Jim!