A Pediatric Neurologists Opinion

We have two foster children. Ages 12 weeks and 2 years old. Same mom, different dads.

The infant is on phenobarb to prevent seizures. Just one of the effects of her moms drug use, but not the worst.

While we had the good doctor's ear we asked him about our son. Seems his good biological mother wasn't being totally honest when she swore to us that she was clean during her pregnancy. Well anyway, I think we all lucked out. He doesn't seem to have suffered any of the effects of prenatal drug use.

I love him more than I ever thought I could and see him as a regular boy, just a bit on the active side at times. That's how I treat him. When he starts bouncing or vibrating (literally) with extra energy, I just run him with a game or physical activity. Any combination of tireing him out, feeding him, or a nap will resolve the problem most of the time, if not all the time.

But I have the advantage of a 9 hour break during the day, 5 days a week, at a place called work.

Anyway the good doc, while blaming George Bush and No Child Left Behind for this, said that the worst thing going on in schools for boys is the elimination of physical activity designed to burn off the excess energy that they have. In his opinion, pharmacological solutions for excess energy should be the last resort and he lamented that it was often the first choice.

He even went on to mention how boys should have male teachers since men know what boys need in a way that a woman could never. He also said that some boys just wont listen to women in the way that they will listen to a male.

His recommendation for our son was lots of physical activity, team sports when possible, and a routine. I never expected to hear a liberal reinforce what I believe, but there it was. He said it was true for a lot of boys.

I don't know if he is a conservative that was brainwashed into the ways of the cultural elite while in college and medical school or if he is a liberal who is seeing the light breaking around the edges of the conglomerated pack of liberal groupthought and just doesn't know it.

Anyway, when a pediatric neurologist says that boys need physical activity and drugs should be a last resort I give it some credence.