Dr. Laura,
You are definitely onto something how many parents bury themselves in their smart phones, lap tops or cart the kids to every single after school activity they can sign the kids up for?!! Kids don't have time to just run around and be kids and they surely don't get enough attention from inattentive parents!
I'm furious about this because when I was a Middle School teacher, I saw this happening in the 90's and I swore I would not be that kind of parent. But guess what? That's other people's definition of good parenting: hand them off to every other program you can possibly afford!!! I used to teach art lessons after school to kids and it was hard to get them to concentrate because they just wanted to talk to me! They just wanted someone to be patient with hearing what they wanted to share!!!
Then there are all the kids who are on meds for ADHD and ADD... I found some of the time, these kids were just bright in different ways and found school boring. I had one student who was labeled "trouble" and on meds, but in my class, he excelled at an architecture project. It was the best in the class! He was quiet and very focused and very serious. Hmmm. And the other big issue is SUGAR! How much has sugar content in foods increased over the past 3 or 4 decades? Kids' systems are so out of balance, no wonder they have trouble maintaining a "normal" state!
No, most aren't bipolar or ADD... they are malnourished and ignored. Parents should be ashamed!!!!!!
B.
