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.

[AK]

Very true and very well written.

[Kes]

This is so true. We fix a name to everything. They're just labels and don't 'fix' anything.
Great poem. Really thought-provoking.

[msharma]

Awesome!!Your work portrays the root problem of ours.Well penning of thoughts of today and yesterdays are cast,It reflects the present state of children as well as the schools, really pitying

[Zeitgeist Manifesto]

Once I had a psychology professor who stood up on a table and starting yelling his lesson to the class as if he were on a soapbox. He stopped after a few minutes and asked if we found it inappropriate. After he explained that he had captured everyone's attention and we retained everything he said...he pointed out that his odd behavior was not maladaptive, but actually made him more successful because it got the job done with excellent efficiency. He then got down from his table and started a lecture on how everyone is different and their differences make them an asset somewhere. I feel that we as a society should focus on the strengths of our people instead of making those who are a bit different feel as if they dont belong. This is excellent work. You are our social conscious.

[Audrey Howitt]

I guess I am with roarke on this one--we seek to fix all things with a pill and life is just not like that. Thank you Tate for reminding us of that.

[Chloe..Across the Unive..]

Love roarkes comment!

[Chloe..Across the Unive..]

Tate I love this! I so agree and it sickens me how schools can dictate .. here if a child is prescribed meds for any of these so called ADD'S and parents do not give it to them they will be expelled... now this is not right..
Very well written and the song makes me smile thinking of children who are full of energy being 'sedated' so there will be no bad moon's on the rise lol .. Very good!

Chloe

[Kara]

I absolutely love this poem and what you're communicating. Me and my sister were a lot alike, we both loved art and we would write little stories together as kids. And we both had trouble focusing in school. She was put on medication, I wasn't. Guess who is still creative, still the same person?
FIVE STARS! * * * * *
:P

[Droll Prole]

Ha ha, I was doing a bit of study a while back with some women who were re-entering the workplace. I listened to their conversations about their children and it was "oh my son takes medication for his oppositional disorder and ADD" and another's son had been diagnosed with a disorder cause he had trouble keeping his room clean and making it to school on time >D
Crazy what people are giving their kids these days.