any tips to help me with my 5yr old nephew who has adhd???

United States
May 30, 2007 6:53pm CST
He's only 5 and he was diagnosed 2 months ago with ADHD, he just recently started taking the medication CONCERTA (27mg) and he hasnt had any serious side affects from that(Thank God) However he is still so very hyper, its like when you talk to him he hears you but hes in another world. I've done some research on adhd and I know its not his fault hes like this so thats why Im asking if anyone has any other tips that could help me make our time together not so stressful. I love my nephew and I have helped my sister raise him since the day he was born..he is the son I have always wanted. So if anyone has dealt with this or is dealing with this that can give me tips on how they deal with a child who has ADHD...I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE IT!!!
4 people like this
10 responses
@brokentia (10389)
• United States
31 May 07
I have a few children that are ADHD. Two of which are on medication. If the medication is not making a difference at all, he may be mis-diagnosed. Because Concerta is not one of those medications that take a month to show results. You should be able to tell the difference like night and day. However, it is also possible that the dosage is not high enough. This is something that the doctor is going to have to work out. The fact that he is 5 yrs old and on 27 mg...that is actually a good dosage. So, if it is not making a difference at all...I would seriously consider a second opinion. What can you do though to help eliminate the hyper part. This may should horrible...but no Kool Aid. Sorry, but artificial dyes and sugar need to be cut to a very minimum. My kids have either juice, water, or milk. They do not get a much a sweets and sugars. They are fed very healthy. Even my mother has taken to the understanding that when they have candy, it needs to be sugar free or made from natural fruit juices....they make gummy worms and bears from juice. :) It is not easy to change the diet...but I have seven children now and they all benefit from the same diet. :) Hang in there. It will get better. :)
2 people like this
• United States
31 May 07
No we dont give him any soda, juice or anything like that because it only makes him worse, he drinks water or milk or if he does drink juice its 100% juice with no added sugar. He goes for an appointment in 2 weeks so hopefully they will change to different medicine because Concerta doesnt seem to be working at all. In fact just today he got suspended from school for twisting a classmates arm..everyday he comes home from school with sad faces from his teacher, hes only in kindergarden.
• United States
31 May 07
I dealt with my cousins who had ADHD.I don't recommend any medication because I've seen parents who place their child on medication and there were no serious side effects at first. However, their is a long term affect that will occur to the child in which the only way to make a child even a little less hyper than he will need stronger medication over time. Since your nephew is only 5 years old, you just have to keep him busy. When it comes to raising a boy especially that he is hyper, he needs to be offered alot of different things. For example, my little cousin who is also 5 years old and very hyper is always all over the place. My aunt gives him alot of different activities to do to keep him busy. With an ADHD child, you will notice only things that he loves will keep him focused and he will appear less hyper. Take him to a playground, arrange a room where he has an opportunity to color, play with different types of toys, play a video game, play with sand, paint, or ride a bike or car for his age. I know it seems like Im asking you to open some type of day care at your nephew's house, but trust me on this, you will find out that when he is not bored he will be less hyper and by offering an environment which lets him explore his intrests, he would be less hyper. My 5 year old cousin loves playing video games and playing games online. Over time, he will be more focused and less hyper. So based on my experience I would not recommend continuing giving him medication.
• United States
31 May 07
My nephew doesnt pay attention to anything unless its his video games or cartoons. Its funny sometimes because he will be concentrating so hard on the video game that I wish he concentrated that hard in school then maybe he wouldnt get sad faces everyday from his teacher. Im not in favor of medication either but doctors are always so quick to prescribe that to kids. Thanks for takin the time to respond!
• United States
31 May 07
my daughter be 5 this october she was diagnosed almost a year ago with adhd she is on clonidine it helps and ritlan which i dont see it helping and now she is on one for bipolar to keep her mood swings in order so i know what it is like sometimes it seems the medicines dont work at all but they are maybe you need to talk to doctor and have them try something different
1 person likes this
• United States
31 May 07
your welcome
1 person likes this
• United States
31 May 07
Yea thats what Im learning that his medication might not be right for him, you cant just go with the first one they prescribe because obviously my nephews isnt working. Thanks so much for sharing!
1 person likes this
• United States
31 May 07
I think putting a child on medication is just not the right choice. It seems that every child who has ADHD also has a doctor ready to get them to calm down via medication. If the meds aren't working then I'd say don't let him take them. There seems to be some great advice in your post responses that should help.
• United States
31 May 07
yes I did get really good advice from everyone, its just something we all have to get used too.
• United States
1 Jun 07
I have noticed that being outdoors in nature is really good for kids with special needs! (Well, good for ALL kids, but kids with special needs seem to especially benefit!) Fishing might NOT be a good idea because you have to sit still for so long... but other things! Take him on lots of hikes and let him lead the way, let him try to blaze trails and get muddy and pick up little things he finds... or swimming in an actual lake, river, ocean, etc, instead of just the pool... things like that! Find activities to do together where he gets to take the lead. Try to be in situations where you can say "Yes" as much as possible Also if you want him to follow directions try to make your sentences short. Like, "Tommy, get your coat," or even "Get coat". Ask him to repeat back what you just said to make sure he has it right. Good luck!
1 person likes this
• United States
11 Jun 07
Thanks so much for your advice. He does like to be outdoors as much as possible and I just have to learn to be more patient with him. Once again Thanks for your advice
@KissThis (3003)
• United States
31 May 07
My son also has ADHD. He has been taking concerta since January. When my son first started taking concerta I didn't think it was working. We went back to the doctor so that I could discuss this issue with her. She then added ritalin to go with the concerta. I only medicate my son for the hours he is at school. When he is at home he isn't on any medications. You can still tell my son is hyper because I have asked my doctor not to over medicate him so that the child is lost in the medicine. I keep him physically busy. We will go outside so that he is able to run around for hours at a time. I have found that while allowing him to play on the computer or playing a video relaxes him it also makes it hard to get him to settle down long enough to do his school work. Playing with something like legos seem to work better. Have your sister write down the symptoms she is still seeing and when she is seeing them. This information is important for the doctor to know. They are better able to adjust his medication so that it works better for him. They might even need to change the medicine completely. My son had to have his changed at first as well. Not all medicines work for everyone.
1 person likes this
• United States
31 May 07
We all kinda of knew he had adhd but its still new to us so were all gettin used to dealing with him and we all love him sooo much he's the first boy in the family so he gets some extra love LOL. I do notice when he is out running around at the park or in the backyard when its time to settle down he is more calm I guess because he got all his energy out. Writting down his symptons she see's is really good advice because she could talk it over with her doctor ,Thanks so much! Im glad you found what works for your son.
• United States
31 May 07
my daughter is adhd also and she is 14yrs old and she also tried the concerta and it does not work that well.granted each child is different but if he has not had any change within the first day of taking the medication its not for him.my daughter is now taking adderall xr and it is amazing.she can now concentrate alot better on her school work as well as what she is suppose to do at home.it does'nt put her in that zombie state like ritalin does.you see a big difference.and just to balance things out i don't have her take on the weekends and in the summer just for school.
1 person likes this
• United States
31 May 07
Yea I dont think Concerta is workin too well on my nephew either, hes been on it for couple weeks now and the first one didnt work so they raised the dosage. He has an appointment with his doctor coming up so Ima ask his doctor about maybe switching to a different one. Thanks
• Austria
11 Jun 07
I'd look at his diet. Food colors are unhealthy have been proven to cause temper tantrums. Cut out added sugars and food color, additives etc. and get back to healthy snacks like fruits and whole grains. check out this site for more info http://www.ukfoodguide.net/childrensfoodsanddrinks.htm
@mamasan34 (6518)
• United States
31 May 07
Hi there! My friends son has ADHD and he was a handful! One of the biggest things is to provide a structured environment, also behavioral modification. That regards the rewarding for positive activities and consequences for the negative behavior. It is a slow pace, because you have to watch him and evaluate his behavior constantly, it takes tiny steps and there is a lot of struggle with the balance of power. Even at 5 he wants to be independent and wants to do things his way. Diet wise, watch his sugar intake. That can help a great deal as well. I have also heard of herbal remedies as well, not too much on them, but you can look them up or ask your doctor if this is an appropriate path you could take for him. I don't like medicines that have to be maintained longterm for children. It is scary to me. I dont know if any of these suggestions will work, but I wish you the best of luck. I know it is a struggle raising a child with ADHD, but as with any child you love, it is ultimately rewarding. Just keep trying and show your love!
1 person likes this
• United States
31 May 07
Yes it is a struggle and im not even his mother LOL but since he is my nephew he is at my house alot and he absolutely loves coming over..I tell him if he can be good in school and get a happy face from his teacher than he can come over my house to play with his 4yr old cousin (my daughter) and that had worked acouple of times. Its all about patience and mine are put to the test on a daily basis.
• Philippines
31 May 07
I would definitely recommend being patient and try to have fun with him as well. treat him like you are playing games.
1 person likes this