Tips For Dealing With ADD

ADD which stands for Attention Deficit Disorder is a distressing psychological condition which results in all kinds of behavioral symptoms including a lack of concentration, bed-wetting, aggression and compulsive behavior. It affects both adults and children.

ADD is almost always described as a three-pronged illness that contains three components – irritability, compulsivity and distractibility. Another form of the disease is ADHD (Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder), which adds hyperactivity to the mix. Minimizing the provocation of these four mental states can greatly help to minimize the extent to which a person's daily life can be affected by this disease.

Here are twenty tips to helping your child or adolescent deal with the uncomfortable behavioral and emotional symptoms of this disease.

First of all never let the child get too Hungry, Angry, Tired or Lonely. Avoiding any one of these emotional states can help prevent the compulsions, irritability and wandering thoughts that are symptoms of ADD. Low blood sugar is definitely something to avoid so make sure you eat meals on time.

Make sure that all medications as prescribed and exactly on time! Many of the medications used to treat ADD and ADHD have a short half-life. If they are not taken exactly as prescribed, the sufferer can suffer from a rapid shift in mood that results in aggression or an emotional 'crash.'

Be aware that ADD sufferers are addictive personalities. As a symptom of ADD is compulsivity it is best to stay away from any type of activity that might result in an addiction. This includes playing video games or eating sugar when it comes to kids. Avoid stimulating entertainment. Movies or video games that are too stimulating can provoke violent episodes and mood swings in both adults and children with ADD.

Avoid fluorescent lights. Studies have also shown that ADD sufferers find it more difficult to concentrate if they are sitting under fluorescent lights. Low incandescent lighting of a yellowish quality helps them to focus.

8Realize your ADD child needs more exercise than most people. As most ADD sufferers are hyperactive they need an outlet to burn off excess nervous energy. You should take care to indulge in at least an hour of aerobic activity such as walking, running or playing an athletic game a day.

Stick to a daily routine. Many symptoms disappear if an ADD sufferer learns how to stick to a daily routine that is consistent over a number of months. This includes eating and exercises at the same times every day and not working too hard. Keeping things simple and the same every day works very well to relieve children of their ADD symptoms. It can greatly improve their concentration in school as well.

Parenting Tips
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Tips on Choosing a Baby Name

Before choosing a name for your baby, there are several things that you need to consider. First of all you should consider the child's ancestry.

Usually it is nice to give your baby a first or a middle name that refers somehow to a relative your family tree. In some cultures, this is considered to bring you good fortune as it is thought that the guardian spirit of that relative will always be watching over your child.  Also it is a way of “branding” a child so that he or she always feels like a cherished member of your tribe.  

Before you give your child a name, be sure to look up it’s meaning to make sure that it does not have unflattering connotations. For instance, the name Luxton, might sound very elegant and mean “elegance” in English, but if your child is Jewish, the name will translate to mean “limp noodle.”  This rule especially applies to names that sound exotic and Far Eastern.  The name Kali might sound pretty for a little girl, but it means “Goddess of Death” in India.   Does the name sound right when you call it?  Realize that during the first w years you will be often calling out this child’s name as in  “Aberdeen, don’t stick your finger in the light socket!” 

Make sure that it is a name that you and others can pronounce easily. Does the name have an attractive casual short form?  The best names are ones that can be shortened so that the child can have an affectionate nickname.  The more versatile the name the better, especially if the child doesn’t like his or her full name when he or she grows up. An example of a good versatile name is Delilah, which can be shortened to Dee, Del, Lily or Lilah. 

Will children make fun of the name?  To you the name Dorcas has great ancestral significance as well as refers to a great Sea Goddess. To your child it is a curse as her dignified moniker is shortened and she is called “Dork” throughout her child hood years. Is the name really difficult to spell?  You can save your child a lot of grief later in life if you avoid names that don’t sound like they are spelt. A classic example is “Siobhan”, pronounced “Shove-on”.  You might also want to avoid names that are pronounced the same but have several spellings, (such as Sharmain or Sharmaine or Charmain or Charmaign or Charmaine) as these can get misspelled on government and insurance forms. Now that you know the ground rules when it comes to naming your child, you are ready to choose a name. The rest of the course is really just a matter of your good taste!

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