Ma'am let me start by saying that anyone taking care of a child is a person that must have much patience and blessings.

Children regardless of A.D.D. or not are difficult and yes it is not okay for your son to have to suffer due to it but this is not because of lack of medication or therapy...

My Son has never taken med's or therapy but I do perform behavior modification at home and maintain a very strict structure for him because too much of anything will make him a bit more wired then usual (which is a lot as is)...

My suggestion is pleaseeeee read Driven To Distraction and look through articles here. As a parent we feel embarrassed and it is hard to have people understand what we go through. At the same time what you are doing is adding a small seed for this child of love that will grow and surely not let you down if you can educate yourself about and speak frankly with parents so that they may do the same and together give this child wings....

God Speed and Good Luck -0)

Quote

Hello there,

I just read your post about babysitting a 5-year-old and the effects on your own child. My older brother had ADHD, with anger and impulse issues, as does my son. While I agree that all kids have moments, a child with impulse control problems should never be left alone with a younger child. You sound like you have concerns about your younger child being hurt: don't wait to act. I suffered years of many types of abuse from my brother due to his impulse control and anger issues, and it took considerable therapy to work through this, because it never occured to anyone to not leave us alone together. It is great that you are so understanding of the 5-year-old, but you are an adult and are bigger and more mature than him. Your small child will become traumatized with the sort of things that you describe. Especially because you have limited things you can do with the impulsive child, and you only have control over the safety of your own child. Ultimately the parents of this boy are responsible for him, but not your own child. Do not leave them alone together without the presence of a responsible adult, ever. As your child's mom, you must trust your instinct. You have voiced concerns about your child's safety, and your own child has been hit and kicked as you say. If I were you I would not keep these kids together on a regular basis. I always say, what needs to happen for a person to feel they need to make a change? Don't wait for others to make the change. Your job and gift as a parent is to make your child's safety first. I am NOT saying this based on the label, ADD. It is the child's anger and impulse issues that would concern me, coupled with the fact that his parents do not seem to see the safety issue involved with their child's physical outbursts. The reality is, you cannot make them change this. I would simply tell the parents that the needs of your child are physical and emotional safety and at this time you feel you would have with another position. Or, make other arrangements for your own child. You won't regret it. There is more to risk here by keeping things the same, than by making a change. Good luck.

Quote