Parenting, ADHD And Everything In Moderation

Good Parenting is what exactly? We have such conflicting views on what is right and what is wrong, that it sometimes paralyses our ability to make a decision as a parent. The voices inside our head all have an agenda, which either is looking to act in our best interest or in the interest of our children. With the busy world we live in, it does not get any easier, or does it?

I grew up in an era where the term hyperactive would be used to describe some children. At times, I was branded with that label given on some topics, I am easily excitable. It was not as damning a label as being classified, or is it diagnosed, as ADHD today. More and more kids today are ADHD, “ADHD is 10 times more common today than it was 20 years ago,” Dimitri Christakis, a George Adkins Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Washington in Seattle, said.

That is a frightening statistic, and reading this article yesterday, struck a nerve. With a title like "Hey Parents. What That iPad Is Doing To Your Kids Is Kind Of Shocking.", how could I not click through? My consolation after reading the article was our approach to anything is everything in moderation. Everything is a negotiation in my house, and the kids having access to computers, laptops and mobile devices has been a stepped approach, contrary to my tech addiction tendencies.

The article speaks volumes, and I can relate to the story of Josh playing minecraft. A few weeks back, when we went out for lunch in the Cape winelands, a little boy "enjoyed" his lunch in exactly that manner of head down, thumbs moving furiously on some form of mobile device. He did not step outside once.

We were with six kids, three boys and three girls, ages ranging from ten years old to thirteen years old. Our kids would only be at the table when we would call them because the food was ready. The rest of the time, they ventured off, particularly thrilled with the boat on the rather large pond. I was the one worried about them not having a change of clothes should any of them fall into the water, but I don't think that was an issue of concern for them.

I don't think the kids being exposed to technology is contributing to the higher incident rate of ADHD. I do think kids getting exposed to technology way too early creates the dependency that later comes back to bite you as a parent. It's easy on you as a parent, to put your child in front of an iPad or TV, while you go on about your busy life.

The Net Nanny will serve you in the short term to look after your children, but is that not the beginning of their deficit of attention from you? I believe in everything in moderation, but that should not be the case in terms of the attention you give your children. There it should be in abundance, not moderation.