A hyperactive child behaves as if they are driven by a motor and may not be able to sit still or remain calm. They think it, and they do it, without foreseeing the consequences of their behaviors. Unfortunately, they also have a hard time keeping their hands to themselves, which can get them into trouble with other students.
“How many times have I told you to pay attention? You just seem to space out. No wonder you aren’t doing well in school,” said the mother to her son. The father chimed in, “I don’t understand why you can’t pay attention. You just need to try harder.” The child looks miserable and both parents…
The first nine weeks of school arrives and the report card comes home. Mom opens her child’s report card to find that her little Einstein is failing a class and barely passing a couple of others. When she shows the report to the boy, he says, “My teacher is horrible. She never explains anything and…
“Stop that or you will go to timeout! Do you want to go to timeout?” This phrase is often heard coming out of parents’ mouths at home and almost any other place where children can be found. Timeout has gotten into the national vocabulary of parents. In our jobs as a pediatrician and school psychologist,…