Despite the potentially dangerous side-effects of Ritalin, public school authorities now pressure many parents to give Ritalin to their children so these kids won't "act up" in school.
Naturally, most parents don't want to drug their children just because they are unruly, bored in class, or high-spirited. However, compulsory attendance laws force parents to send their children to public schools. Just as school authorities resort to compulsion to get their students by force, so they apply the same compulsion against children and their parents to pressure parents into giving Ritalin to their kids.
How do schools pressure parents? They threaten to expel the child, hold the child back a grade, put the child into a special-education class, or threaten the parents with prosecution for child abuse.
Here's one parent's story:
"Hello, my name is Bobby B. [last name withheld for privacy], and that little boy you see above [in a picture in the article] . . . is my pride and joy. The picture was taken on Halloween when he was 5 years old and he was already on Ritalin. He was put on Ritalin because the local school district informed us that if we did not put him on medication he would be removed from school. In fact his first year was a nightmare from the start."
"Kindergarten is supposed to be fun and enjoyable for the child. However, Christopher had the teacher from hell and she made his life miserable. He could do nothing right and at the end of the school year she was going to flunk him out of her class. . . . Christopher's teacher thought he was nothing but trouble, too hyperactive, too hard to manage and she wanted nothing to do with him. This was the start of our own nightmare and our introduction to Ritalin and ADD. For the next 8 years our little boy was on this medication because without it he would not be allowed to continue in our public school system. . . ."
"My wife volunteers at the school in the office area weekly, and she has told me of the hundreds of kids that are on Ritalin and other medication. They line up every day to get their medication in order for them to stay in school, and attempt to do their work in a drug-induced state."
"About 12 months ago we were told to put Christopher on Adderall and that this medication would work better and would last longer. The side effects were the same, dehydration, loss of appetite, growth limitations and violent mood swings, and the fact is that no one knows what the long term effects on your children's health will be. We did as the Doctor advised and he has been on Adderall since."
"Any time Christopher has a bad day in school, the teachers want to know if he took his medication for the day. You see, once a child is labeled ADD or hyperactive, it stays with them, and it's locked in the teachers' minds. Thus if the child has a problem, it must be that he/she did not take their medication. I am sure this goes on in public schools all over this country and parents like us have no choice or our choices are very limited. If you want your child to stay in school, Ritalin or Adderall is their solution to any and all behavioral problems."
Here we have an example of school authorities not tolerating normal children who might be having a "bad day" or want to express their anger about something. As adults, we all have such bad days and we all get angry occasionally. But because public schools are like mini-prisons that require "order" and "discipline" to function, children are expected to conform to the rules. They are not allowed to have "bad days" or express anger. Hence school authorities must pressure parents to drug these children to make them passive.
Christopher's horror story is repeated again and again in public schools across the country. Parents, if public school authorities are pressuring you to give your children mind-altering drugs, alarm bells should be going off in your head. You should immediately consider taking your child out of public school and homeschooling him, for your child's sake.
Joel Turtel is the author of "Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children."
Website: http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com,
Email: http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com,
Phone: 718-447-7348.
Article Copyrighted ? 2005 by Joel Turtel.
NOTE: You may post this Article on another website only if you set up a hyperlink to Joel Turtel's email address and website URL, http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com
Along with eating healthier we need to be more active.... Read More
Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes around the brain... Read More
I am sure that this list can be jogged and... Read More
You have two kids who are 14 months apart. How... Read More
Self esteem in an important quality for all children to... Read More
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the phrase that is... Read More
This may come as a surprise.But despite all the advances... Read More
It is so important to create an environment that promotes... Read More
There is no doubt that the benefits of being a... Read More
My oldest boy is fifteen and was a real jerk... Read More
Any parent whose baby has suffered from colic can tell... Read More
Q. How do we decide what our teens should be... Read More
Parents of hyperactive children know the "Would you please just... Read More
I WAS AMAZEDI could hardly believe what I was hearing.... Read More
I will cherish this moment. I will not let it... Read More
Q. With the school year just beginning, what can we... Read More
I know as a single parent or even with 2... Read More
If you're a single parent or a married couple on... Read More
"Do not think that love, in order to be genuine,... Read More
Until about the age of six, children do not generally... Read More
17 Quick Ways to Strengthen the Bonds of LoveOn Mother's... Read More
MYTH: If you have not parented as well as you... Read More
I have always found the notion of toilet training a... Read More
Several similar terms describe the central attribute of a character... Read More
So you're pregnant. Congratulations! Your life is about to change... Read More
house cleaning company Glencoe ..Just a couple of years ago Annie helped her parents... Read More
Life is funny.My twenty-year-old daughter, Melanie, has a her new... Read More
Voices!So many voices crying out for adherence and so many... Read More
How do we deal with our seriously distressed children and... Read More
Isn't the technology of today is amazing?! Between the speed... Read More
Do you have a consistent problem with your child lying... Read More
We're all familiar with the over-indulgent parent. But there's another... Read More
Courage means doing the right thing when it is hard,... Read More
Under the "No Child Left Behind Act," public schools whose... Read More
Many parents struggle to know which foods are healthy for... Read More
In seminars I am often asked about pocket-money and whether... Read More
Boredom, limited space and overflowing energy are a source of... Read More
A number of scientific studies have shown the way a... Read More
As a parent, you probably know that the birthday party... Read More
My cousin boasts five names and I confess that when... Read More
Once upon a time, I thought I had it all.... Read More
Anyone can splurge on a formal dinner or a pricey... Read More
Here's the scene of communication with your child: your three-year-old... Read More
Volunteering together is a fantastic way to spend time as... Read More
Here's a scene: A parent "might suddenly grab a happliy... Read More
I had my first two children on either side of... Read More
Beyond cases reported to authorities, little knowledge exists on the... Read More
The key to a successful car wash fundraiser event is... Read More
As a parent is seems that the majority of your... Read More
Most research into children's friendships shows that those children who... Read More
Parenting |