One of our main goals during our homeschooling adventure was to eventually remove JD from his ADHD medication all together. Another reason was added to our list Friday when I saw the septic tank full of “undigested” Concerta capsules. The medicine left though the holes on either end but the capsule itself was intact. I reduced his medication dosage by half this same time last year and his behavior was acceptable at home during our homeschool time. Of course there were still many distractions and “moments” but I deal with them better in our setting verses the public school experience with one teacher and 25 other bodies stuck in room all day. All the research over the last couple of days regarding holistic ADHD treatments has paid off. Search after search led me to question if JD was vitamin deficient. I think that’s the main part of the problem because Sunday, 13 February was the first day we gave JD a Flintstone’s multi-vitamin with iron and a 1000 mg fish oil capsule instead of his Concerta medication that he has taken since Kindergarten. It has now been 9 days since his last Concerta pill and JD doesn’t even miss it. Which is thrilling to me since it is a controlled substance and because I’m worried about him becoming addicted to it and others like it. JD behaved within “normal” and acceptable limits while in Sunday school and church yesterday. Besides the army guy toys that were dug out of some deep dark pocket while in the church service. (Smile)
We started out the morning with the vitamin and the fish oil. I volunteered to take one of JD’s very first (First Baptist Church daycare) teachers to a medical appointment. So I left JD with specific instructions to work on. He was under the supervision of Daniel, Sarah, and a timer while I was away for 2 ½ hours.
First I set the stove alarm for thirty minutes so he could read his book Hoot. When that alarm buzzed he was to push a specific button 10 times for a 10 minute break before the dreaded writing lesson. It was a pre-printed page that listed 10 reasons why he loves his daddy and me. I knew he would read and take a break, but my outlook on the writing assignment was bleak at best.
When I got home I found the language arts writing lesson on the kitchen table. I was amazed! It was neat. It had complete sentences. It was genuine answers. And it was completed! (You can click on the picture to enlarge it and print it.) I’m told by Sarah and Daniel that he read for thirty minutes, turned off the alarm, and sat down at the table without a break to complete the writing assignment. They told him he gets a ten minute break but he opted out of it. I’m so proud of him. Another goal this year was to build up a self-sufficient, self-motivated, and independent working student. I think we’re on our way.
After a short lunch break we work on the math lesson. It was about ratios. It was problems like 1 foot equals 12 inches, so 2 feet equals 24 inches. Other ways ratios are used is converting miles per hour problems and prices for only one item verses multiple items. It was fairly easy and the vitamins were still working. As a matter of fact I don’t see a difference from his 36 mg pill to the vitamin and fish oil. (smile)
We kind of worked backwards today. The last thing we did was our devotion. The title was “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Of course that who is God. The devotion was about a boy who hung out with another boy who taught him about computer stuff. By the both getting to know one another they learned from one another. Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” In other words if you know God you know the one who is always right. If you only know of God what others say about God, you have limited knowledge of God and can’t know what’s right and wrong. Get to know God through his word and gain the knowledge needed to result in understanding.
It was a good school day and I'm proud of my independent working student. That means I reward him with dropping science and social studies.
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