ADHD and medication Holiday?

[Anonymous]

If the meds help why would you stop? Kids still need to make decisions and act appropriately and feel in control during the summer. It has never made sense to me why people ask this.

If you are seeing side effects, try another medication. Summer can be a good time for trial and error since you can observe your child more sometimes.

But if they need meds, they need meds!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the meds help why would you stop? Kids still need to make decisions and act appropriately and feel in control during the summer. It has never made sense to me why people ask this.

If you are seeing side effects, try another medication. Summer can be a good time for trial and error since you can observe your child more sometimes.

But if they need meds, they need meds!

My kid stops because he asks to stop for the summer. He’s a teen and needs to practice some sort of autonomy. I will ask him to take it for specific events.

Last year he tried starting the school year without the stimulant. That went sideways pretty fast and he quickly went back on them. He’s learning his limits, I suppose.

[Anonymous]

My 10yo knows meds are an option during the summer/weekends and sometimes asks to take them, but usually we opt for the additional calories he can consume if he doesn't take them. It's a trade off that currently works decently. If weight gain was not an urgent concern, he would probably opt to take them everyday.

He doesn't seem to find it too disruptive. We do have to some extra patience and remember he needs some additional supports that he may not when taking meds. Do notice a bit of mood instability as he adjusts back to taking them the first few days after a long break (don't notice it from weekend breaks), but it seems to stabilize again pretty quickly after just a day or two.

[Anonymous]

No. Both DSs need it to function (driving, working, getting chores done.) DS1 said he skipped a day in college this spring and spent the day in bed on his phone (vs going to class) which is very unusual for him. He now understands the benefits of taking it.

[Anonymous]

Just no! Ours doesn't want to go off. Otherwise goes down so many rabbit holes and annoys so many people. Meds aren't just for staying focused on edtech

[Anonymous]

Mine doesn’t take it during the summer, or Soring break or winter break.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the meds help why would you stop? Kids still need to make decisions and act appropriately and feel in control during the summer. It has never made sense to me why people ask this.

If you are seeing side effects, try another medication. Summer can be a good time for trial and error since you can observe your child more sometimes.

But if they need meds, they need meds!

My kid stops because he asks to stop for the summer. He’s a teen and needs to practice some sort of autonomy. I will ask him to take it for specific events.

Last year he tried starting the school year without the stimulant. That went sideways pretty fast and he quickly went back on them. He’s learning his limits, I suppose.

I think giving him that autonomy is really healthy. It prevents resentment from him feeling he is taking a medicine he doesn’t need (since he realized he did need it to function/focus at school) and shows him you will listen to him and act on his concerns. That is really healthy.