These days when you refuse to put your kid on Ritalin you're risking having the school call child protective services. A risk worth taking of course.
Last weekend I was visiting my mother and she pulled out an old box of photos and my old school work and report cards. What caught my eye was a note written in the early-70's from my mother to my first grade teacher, and my teacher's note back to my mother on the other side. My mother wrote something like, "Is Quahog's behavior improving?" My teacher wrote back, "No. Quahog continues to speak without being called on, although he does have his hand raised. Also, whenever music is played, he flails his head and arms around at a furious pace!"
Uh....I called this dancing. Thank God there was no mention of Ritalin. My older brother was not so lucky. He ended up on it for a year or two. In a family full of 6'2" men, he is 5'9".
As for doing things without permission, today that is considered a good thing. My son goes to a Montessori school where he can do just about anything he wants, whenever he wants, whether it is working, studying, playing, eating or going to the bathroom. |
