ADHD??? Or just a typical toddler boy???

Katelyn - posted on 10/22/2012

Sounds like my son! He turned 3 on September 3rd and was evaluated on September 6th. Psychologist diagnosed him with ADHD. He said our son is an extreme case and that he will not be able to do behavioral therapy without medication. Whatever you do, dont listen to those who say it is a typical child. I was so sick of hearing that and it took me forever to seek help because I just thought I was a bad mom and couldn't handle it. I wrote down as many examples as possible of things he did. My son has no fear at all. When I explained everything to the counselor, she was so understanding. It's been a long journey ever since, but I feel so relieved because at least something is happening.

Jade - posted on 03/12/2011

are you sure you're not talking about my son, he does EVERYTHING you just said but add on constant tantrems everyday and now biting, i can never ever take him places coz its just too bloody hard and with a 5 month old as well i really dont leave the house now.

good luck with all the advice but i cant really help but happy you put this post up as i can get ideas as well.
(I also had a lady come over to assess his behaviour but they are always good when someone else is around and make you look stupid,
jade.

Carisa - posted on 03/04/2011

My daughter is the same way. She is my second girl and I swear that she knows she will someday be a middle child and is getting a head start on acting like it. I think part of the reason second children are so much more wild is because they learn so much from their older siblings. For example, Madeline (the 2 year old) has started taking all of the clothes out of her drawers and putting them into her crib...she got this idea from Olivia (5) when Olivia started putting books in Maddie's crib. The best part is when they get into trouble and Olivia tells me it was Maddie's idea.

In restaurants, I've started trying to get a booth and have her sit next to me...it works much better than the high chair was.

I wouldn't worry about ADHD just yet, he sounds like a normal toddler to me.

Pam - posted on 03/02/2011

my son will be 2 at the end of March, I learned at restaraunts to let him sit next to me in the booth, he has never liked his high chair much. My son runs none stop, he climbs and jumps. at the mall he loves to run, he is very inquisitive and smart.... He will calm down. Also being the second child is usually much more active and into things than the first, my oldest son and my daughter were total opposites. I think the first one is mellow to fool you into having another one lol, then the second one is OMG why did I do this to myself. Keep the faith, he will grow out of it, if you always keep him at home, he will never learn how to act in public... Do little field trips, if it's shopping or a long affair try to get a sitter for your own sanity

Virginia - posted on 02/28/2011

My brother is a very very severe case od ADHD, he was at the age of 2 climbing onto the roof of the house!!! my son will be 2 on march 5 and this was my main concern with it already being in the genes. My boy is also very active but has just started to slow down a bit now as he is getting a more developed attention span and is able to concentrate, he understands more now and the way he plays with his toys is starting to change as he develops more of a knowledge. A good thing to do is just watch them, watch how they interact with other kids, toys, and how do they react when they get frustrated?? Dont be too hard though in your judgment though as my son has only just started to slow down and I have been told by someone experienced in child development that he is about 6 months ahead of his age at the moment. there are far too many kids out there on ADHD medication and 2 is a very early age to diagnose such a major thing and will impact on his life a great deal. just keep an eye on him and watch how he interacts.

Good luck and I sincerely hope he is not ADHD as true ADHD puts a very big strain on the relationdhips in the family and also has a big impact on your other children.

Renae - posted on 02/05/2011

He does sound normal. Some boys in particular are just like this. Does he get plenty of opportunity to run off his energy? At this age they have loads and loads of physical energy that willl fuel their physical development. Daily opportunities to burn it all off are essential. He needs to run, climb, jump etc. Especially climbing. Does he have a climbing frame of some sort in the backyard? Age appropriate of course as we dont want him falling and injuring himself. Riding a trike is also a good energy burner, as is playing in a sandpit or kiddie pool. If possible activities like kindy gym, kindy dance, playgroup and swimming also wear them out. As kids get older its intellectual learning that really wears them out more than physical stuff, but as toddlers they need physical activity.

On another note, there is nothing wrong with harnesses for kids when out and about. They save lives. I dont care what anyone says, I have personally grabbed a child from the arms of an abductor who snatched her right out from under her mothers nose in a dress shop, if she had a harness on it wouldn't have happened.

Karen - posted on 02/02/2011

My son is the exact same way. The only times he will calm down and actually rest is nap time and bedtime. That's it! Everyone I ask tells me it's normal. They always tell me: He's a boy, let him be!!
It's frustrating and sometimes even embarrassing especially at the store or restaurant but I'm sure, they'll calm down someday :)

Kimmy - posted on 02/02/2011

My son is the same way. He is seeming to settle down a bit when we go out and about now but he is stil a bit crazy.

Katherine - posted on 01/29/2011

Yeah, my daughter is the same way. SO hyper, goes and goes and goes all day long. In fact she goes so much she's not even on the charts for height and weight. I really don't think you need to worry. They are just very active at this age.