Prozac Nation

His teacher had diagnosed him with some attention deficit He didn't conform to her rules to be quiet and just to sit

I had the chance to listen in

between a teacher and parent

The teacher told the mother "Dear

your son needs help, that's apparent"

 

She suggested that the mother

visit a doctor that she knew

One who'd give him medication

to control the fits that he threw

 

His teacher had diagnosed him

with that Attention Deficit

He didn't conform to her rules

to be quiet and just to sit

 

He was no different from those

that all of us knew growing up

Acting unruly like a dog

who doesn't know he's still a pup

 

But now we claim this is disease

though that seems but only a ploy

To make a common worker bee

of what once was a little boy

 

Time out is what we do to them

when our children all misbehave

It has about the same effect

as master becoming the slave

 

A child who won't sit still in school

is no more or less of a joy

In my day they were not called sick

what they said was "he's just a boy"

 

Tate

Author's Note

Some of the parents who listened to doctor Spock in the 60s and 70s.Those who tried the kinder gentler approach to raising little Henry. Are now held hostage by their unruly children. So thank you doctor Spock for everything you didn't do. And for all the answers you professed to have but really never knew. Now the public schools want to discontinue the teaching of cursive writing and spelling . As they see it why do we need them anymore? However they also told us we didn't need the phonics that they discontinued back when children could read? The schools got one thing right. Why try to teach children to write if they can't even read? I would truly be interested in knowing just how many parents have been told by teachers that their children need medication. So if this is the case I would like to take a poll. Tell us all how many of you there truly are. Is this just a way to manage overflowing classrooms? When was it we gave teachers the right to diagnose medical problems? In years gone by we would have thought that an affront. It is truly out of their expertise. But I hear over and over that that teachers recommend certain doctors to make sure the children are medicated. If this is not the case tell me. I could be wrong . However it seems it would be more productive to fix the broken schools. Instead of saying the children are broken.

Reviews

[roarke]

ADD is an alphabet soup designer condition. I could speak volumes here. People, teachers, parents, society of this era look for the magic bullets... there are none. It's not one thing, eureka! and here's the one pill. It's a life time of things, ALL THINGS WE DIDN'T DO, but heaven forbid it's OUR fault.

A diagnosis of ADD works in the favor of institutions and pharmaceutical companies, not the children. It's all gibberish. If you think you have a child with ADD or ADHD, do these things first.
1. Turn off the electronic stimulation and spend time with the child.
2. Make sure his psychotropic chemicals are balanced by a good uninterrupted nights rest.
3. Make sure he gets PLENTY of physical exercise, whether it's sports, chores, or physical hobbies.
4. Be aware that ADHD behavior can be caused by a wide range of conditions, like food allergies, bad bacteria in the gut, ANY processed food, food coloring and additives.
5. Many symptoms of ADD can also be matched to characteristics of low spectrum Autism like Asperger's Syndrome.
6. Some of the characteristics of ADD are due to lagging cognitive development, where the child is not as mature for his chronological age, a 20 y/o acting like a 15 y/o for instance.

None of these things mean there's anything wrong with the child.

these just to name a general few. But no one knew these things in the days Tate is writing about here. Back then most of the things, problems I listed above didn't exist in our home life culture. Be ware the changes for convenience or having to make MONEY and don't short change the kids.

I know, I have a child like this. It's difficult, but it's not about pills, it's about lifestyle. Change it.

Parents brought their children into this world, it's not the responsibility of Sesame Street, baby sitters, Day Care, schools, psychiatric institutions to RAISE those children. Your child is a direct reflection of YOU. If you want a change in your child, change YOUR lifestyle first.

We're a society of pills, let's not make that the legacy for our children. Doing the right thing is always light years harder than just looking for a magic bullet.

[Chris Shaw]

It seems to me that so many of our youngsters have been labelled with one thing or another. these days. When I was at school, it was almost unheard of. However we had no Internet back then and we all did far more outside activity. There was also a thing called discipline. We knew how to behave. Interesting points raised in your stanzas Tate.

Chris

[W. Barrett Munn]

My mother was a first grade teacher and when the kids grew unruly she would turn off the lights and have them all lie their heads on their desks. Kids being kids.

[Tate Morgan]

I agree There’s nothing wrong with them. They need a little more attention they have more energy and they need more sleep

[Relic]

If I'm not mistakin, the columbine shooters were on medication as well as other shooters. I remember seeing a website that listed all the medications mass shooters took. I don't know if that applies to the recent mass shooters but it wouldn't surprise me if they were on something.

[Tate Morgan]

I agree with you. That is a thought that has crossed my mind quite often after watching what it did to Germany the entire country was on methamphetamines during World War II and a lack of conscience is the first thing I can think of

[MomzillaNC]

I so get this. My son's dealing with this same thing. I've resisted medications, opting for therapies instead of drug treatment. I understand the schools are understaffed and underpaid and classrooms are overcrowd; but the idea of drugging children into little automatons is abhorrent to me.

This is such an important piece. I hope you'll publish it to some of the ADHD support groups.

[Tate Morgan]

People dont seem to understand medicines like riddlin are meth amphetamines all children perform better on them as do adults hence the addictive effect of euphoria produced. But so do athletes do better on steroids that doesn't make it a good idea. thank you Do we really think making drug addicts of our children is a acceptable way to stem the failing school systems ?

[MomzillaNC]

And, is it so difficult to understand that shoving mind-altering substances down a child's gullet, when his brain and mind are still developing, can only ever be detrimental in the long run. Further, how can a person learn to self-discipline if they're never taught to overcome their attention challenges?

[Tate Morgan]

I refused to give the meds to my son and he turned out wonderful I would suggest the same restraint. In england if your son is diagnosed with this fantasy ailment and you refuse to medicate them the state can take your child away. Nothing is allowed to upset the hive mentality makes you wonder how we made it a million yrs without them

[MomzillaNC]

Well, here, we hold very tightly to our freedoms. The only time the government will intervene medically is if it's a matter of life and death. Also, from the child psychiatrist, physician, child psychologist, and school counselor here (as well as my own research), I was given the understanding that (if there are not issues of violent, emotional, or psychiatric distress) that children like my son respond better to therapies than to drug treatments. That said, they did strongly encourage drug treatment (even trying to go so far as to claim he was also Autistic and had Aspergers Syndrome). I mule-headedly resisted and continue to resist drug therapy. His physician fully supports my decision and is of the opinion that drug treatment should be a last recourse with children. The child psychologist recommended martial arts and music lessons and team activity as the course of therapy for my son. He's been taking Taekwondo for two years, and guitar for two years. He'll be dropping Taekwondo at the end of this year, but picking up community dance troupe at the start of next year (we just could afford martial arts and team activity simultaneous, plus music lessons).

After that IEP meeting, it's patently obvious that my bull-headedness has paid off.

[Tate Morgan]

I would suggest skipping the dance troupe Boys will tease him mercilessly over that id suggest karate or something more energetic but male oriented Just my thought

[MomzillaNC]

He's interested in the lighting and tech-side of the troupe. They do a lot of techno stuff. And, quite a few of his best school chums are already in this dance troupe. He's burnt out on martial arts and needs a break. I do intend for him to take it up again in a year or two -- he's only two belts from his black belt. I thought, with his rapidly gaining height, he might take up basketball later (it's not available at his current age).

[Tate Morgan]

do they play baseball?

[MomzillaNC]

Not really. Organized athletics has been budgeted out of school until junior high. Besides, he has sun sensitivity that limits his outside activities. Basketball will likely be his sport, if he has one. He'll be elven in December and already wears a men's size 9.5 shoe and 29/30 men's pants. The top of his head comes up to my forehead. His father is 6'3". There are tall genes on my side too: I have a six foot sister and and nephew who tops 6'4". I figure he's going to be at least 6'5". He's also very solidly built -- his is not one of these whiplash lean physiques. When sparring in Taekwondo, he doesn't move like lightening, but he's been described as being as unstoppable as freight train.

[MomzillaNC]

That should have been, "he'll be elven…"

[MomzillaNC]

Dang! Why does the auto-correct keep doing that! e-l-e-v-e-n 11!

[Tate Morgan]

hahah my phone does that Well he will grow into his size

[MomzillaNC]

Yeah… he'll grow into his size… and be scraping the ceiling at the rate he's going! :D

[Eddie Phillips]

Tate I agree and love this poem. I wrote something about this a few months ago called "Take the Pill" It is hard to understand why a nation is so willing to dope up perfectly normal children. Your words hit aesthetic but real and I would suggest that a lot more people harken to the truth of poems and messages like this. I have been gone for a bit so i apologize for the late review. My Grandfather passed and I was partially raised by him. I am happy to come back and read such a beautiful poem.

[Tate Morgan]

thank you ed it is always after the fact that we wake to find we are lost

[Harmony Babin]

I can very much relate to this. I agree with you whole heartedly. Society seems to get more ignorant over the years, especially when it comes to schooling. Where I live, the school can't decided on common core and grading scales and they keep switching things up. And when someone can't understand math or english and etc., they're put in special ed. I really cannot stand how things are. When someone simply cannot understand something they thing we're mental. When a child acts up they think it's a mental thing. They are so wrong, though. They have no idea what they are talking about, simply. And they wonder why many kids want to quit schooling and why parents are so angry and why teachers are being fired. Just amaaaaazing. And they call us stupid.

[Tate Morgan]

Will we ever learn ?

[Harmony Babin]

No, probably not. By the time they realize that they are wrong, it'll be too late.

[外人 (Gaiji..]

My friend, I couldn't agree more ! You're talking about a serious issue, in the sick world we're living, ordinary behaviours are seen as illnesses. Here in Italy, things are not different, you see so many schoolboys being considered having attention deficit just because they don't stand 8 hours closed in a school class.

[Tate Morgan]

what boy can sit still that long? it is not a disease it is natural

[外人 (Gaijin)]

I definitely agree

[Tate Morgan]

dont let teachers diagnose children

[Sharon L.H. Kelly]

Love this , Tate. It has been my experience (and my opinion) that the physicians who prescribe ADHD/ADD medication to children should probably be prescribing it to their parents instead. Environment plays the biggest role. Roarke could not have said it better.

[Tate Morgan]

Thank you Sharon however the adults are the problem as many of the parents want the children to take the meds so they can steal the medication for themselves

[Sharon L.H. Kelly]

I've seen that as well.

[Blue Belle]

I love this poem and how much you express how in today's society, if an individual is not paying attention then that individual has ADHD/ADD. I hate that society goes straight to the solution of medications, which I don't agree with. Thank you for something to connect with, although I connect at a different level of "medication is not always the answer." Which I also know that the message in this poem is about being young and living life as a little kid because we all grow up way too fast.

[Tate Morgan]

we are way to ready to medicate children for being children