With all the involved topics we've had lately, I have fallen way behind on the subjects people have asked us to cover. That is bad news all around, but it's especially bad for a nice grandma who needed our help before the end of June.

Posting this question now may be almost too late to help her — this time around. (I'm SO sorry, Grandma!) But she isn't checking out of the grandma business, so the advice you send now could help her on future occasions. Here is what she had to say:

I am a grandmother who has taken my 10-year-old grandson for the remainder of the school year (his mother is having some health problems).  He has been diagnosed as having ADHD (he was taking Adderall when he came).

He was with my husband and me for a month this past summer with two of his cousins.  While he was here in the summer he was loud and boisterous but not abusive. He did not take the medication while he was here in the summer and we got along fine.

Now I find that he isn't doing well in school because of the condition but I hate to see what the medication does to him.  I took him to the doctor and he lowered the dosage of the medication but it still gives him a headache and he complains of his stomach hurting.  He also becomes listless.  He is very verbally abusive and destructive with his toys and other items at times.

Does anyone know of any alternative treatment that has worked for their child?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Grandma

As you can see, this is a dire situation for this grandmother and a ten-year-old little boy. But as pervasive as ADHD is these days, your advice could probably help a lot of people out there. And if you also want to throw in some advice about how Primary teachers and other church teachers can help these kids in class, I'm sure a lot of teachers would appreciate it.

Please help Grandma and countless others by sending your ideas to to circleofsisters@meridianmagazine.com . Put something in the subject line that will let me know your letter isn't spam.  And when you write, be sure to include your full name, city and state or province. (If you'd rather be semi-anonymous, sign your name as “A Reader from Michigan” or “Sandy from Timbuktu.” The important thing is that we hear from you.)

Until next week — Kathy

Love the moment, and the energy of that moment
will spread beyond all boundaries.

Corita Kent