Kids with ADD and shooting...

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

LET THE NAME CALLING BEGIN.....


So much for what was an interesting thread.

 

[misconfig]

I think both sides of this aurgument need to take a chill pill.

As an LEO and in my personal life I have seen and dealt with both sides. I have a nephew that does need the med's but as a cop I see the kids that are in a drug induced zombie state that is not needed.

I think ADD/ADHD is real......it's just over used as an excuse for some, doctors and parents alike.

The people that are saying ADD is all a farce are wrong and just the same the ones saying ADD is an epidemic are also wrong. It is real........just over used as an excuse for normal childhood issues.

Oh well...........carry on

The thing that really bothers me is the all out onslaught of people saying "You are WRONG", I speak from being one of these medicated children and extensive research, yet I have not once said anyone was flatout wrong.

IMO, that's not the most appropriate way to properly project your opinion. I find it rather amusing; really; the sense of arrogance people have on topics they have no real hard evidence is absurd, this is the exact reason why I am no longer a Christian.

 

[Gabby]

Well I'm going to have to agree with a couple of you on this ADD matter. But first, I think the only people who have an opinion that has merit is those that have a child with ADD. It's easy to dismiss something if you've never dealt with it personally. I for one have such a child and I asure you it is not a farce. And yes the medication he was prescribed did work. The doctor who prescribed it said that he felt that was the last option and didn't like prescribing it. My wife and I didn't want to give it to him either. But this medication, we feel, turned his life around. He is now twenty three years old, he graduated high school has a job and functions well in society. He no longer takes the meds. Is he cured? No. He will always have his struggles in life, but who doesn't? If you have a child with ADD and you don't want to medicate them. Good for you and I hope it works for you. It didn't for us. Are children being over medicated? Yes in a lot of cases. That's why we as parents have to study and be aware. And we have to have the guts to open our mouths and be heard. My

 

[thunderchicken]

fpd9317, I agree with you. That's why I even stated that it is over diagnosed and often over medicated. But It is real. I used to be a LEO, and have seen the same thing. Medication can be a good thing. But usually a little bit goes a long way.

misconfig, sorry you feel that way. It must have been difficult growing up over medicated. And, it must be difficult going through life as an adult that doubts so much.

 

[1032JBT]

The thing that really bothers me is the all out onslaught of people saying "You are WRONG", I speak from being one of these medicated children and extensive research, yet I have not once said anyone was flatout wrong.

IMO, that's not the most appropriate way to properly project your opinion. I find it rather amusing; really; the sense of arrogance people have on topics they have no real hard evidence is absurd, this is the exact reason why I am no longer a Christian.

Don't worry........my post was not directly aimed at you, more at the one name calling because as you put it, that's not the best way to deal with anything.

 

[J D]

I started my son at about 8. We've got the luxury of our own place to shoot so there were no other distractions. I started him off on a bench with his .22 single shot locked into a sighting rest. He likes to watch things blow up or react to his shots so we shot clays, shaken soda's, ritz crackers, and spinners or targets of his choice. He was good 15-20 minutes of shooting and would want to play Nintendo or throw rocks in the creek and then shoot a little more, which was fine, the point is to have fun. My son has sensory issues as well, loud noises, concussion send him over the edge, so we took things slowly trying to work around those issues. We've gradually gotten him out of the rest and onto bags. He likes trying to shoot coins with a .17 or single shots from my carbine which are a reward for listening and following instructions. As he progresses I add the lessons that apply to what he's doing. In his case he's not that into shooting yet and I'm not about to push too hard. I still get him out 3-4 times a year.

In your case I’d recommend that you just take your 8 year old. Trying to herd three other siblings, share the same weapon, keep everybody interested and out of trouble would be the makings of a really short afternoon of fun.

 

[thunderchicken]

It could be rough with that many kids sharing and keeping them interested. Those are good ideas for targets though. My kids love shooting the shaken pop cans. In any case have fun spending time with your kid showing them how to have fun and be responsible.

 

[E5RANGER375]

LET THE NAME CALLING BEGIN.....

IT ALREADY STARTED ON THE LAST PAGE ....... see below:

Frankly, all of you who think ADD/ADHD is a farce your an absolute idiot.

i guess im an idiot, thats ok, im a student of many subjects but a master of none. sticks and stones ....


i dont doubt one bit that you can find a miracle drugs to subdue your wild kids. they have those for adults too, its called clozaphan, and zanex, etc ......

how about just whooping their azz??? (not abusing them) and maybe you've already tried it, but I dont remember reading anywhere in the parent manual i was given when i got my brand new kid off the show room floor, where it said it would be a trouble free and easy experience. make the best of it. they are all unique gifts in there own right, and if you choose NOT to medicate your child to zombyizm, NO ITS NOT ABUSE!!!

 

[SavageEagle]

Ok, last ditch effort to keep this thread on track before you all get into a pissing contest with each other over whether or not ADD is real. Go make a thread about it and argue in there.

I will respectfully disagree with the idea ADD does not exist. My daughter has a pretty bad case of it. She is now 13 and since 1st grade the doctors and teachers both told us she has ADD. As a father I completely ignored this and arrogantly thought there is nothing wrong with my kid and I am NOT going to drug her out with Ritalin or equivalent (sp). Well after a few years of her grades diminishing down very low I finally agreed to put her on Concerta. Acts something like Ritalin. There are no words to discribe the difference it made. She is now a straight A student,gets along so much better with her peers,and is now even more of a joy than she was before.
She never had the Hyperactivity disorder causing trouble she just could not concentrate on things. almost always "daydreaming"
SE I realize the prescription drug cost may be prohibitive without medical coverage and if it is possible would suggest trying this particular drug if you believe she has ADD
I have taken my daughter shooting before and after she started medication and while she was not a danger to herself or anyone else before she just did not have the drive or eagerness to target shoot. Now,she will go anytime I suggest and has an absolute ball shooting her .22

My kids have health insurance so scripts for them aren't an issue. However, I've seen the long term effects of most ADD/ADHD drugs in a lot of different people and I can tell you right now, there's no force in Heaven and Earth that will ever get me to allow some ADD drug into my daughter ever again. We tried 3 different kinds in all different doses. Including Ritalin, Concentra, and.... Can't remember. All three had one effect on her. They made her worse. Also keep in mind that all drugs effect everyone differently.

Herbal Remedies. Nuff said.

I don't believe there's a such thing as Attention Deficit Disorder. It's called being a kid. If you're an adult, you just never grew up. Like me. ADHD, though, I believe that. I just think it's over diagnosed in teens because their parents can't handle them anymore.

220, 221, it's all the same anymore.

Anyway, no, my daughter wouldn't be dangerous with a gun. It took me 4 years to determine this and I'm confident she can handle it all the same.

This "Ay-Dee-Dee" sure sounds like a condition that almost all of my elementary school classmates had back in the day..., the dreaded "Kay-Eye-Dee" = being a KID!!

*EVERY* single "symptom" in the lists above reads to me like the official job description for children/rugrats/yard apes... They are *supposed* to be this way at that age fer pete's sake! As I recall the official Mission statement in the Kid Work Rules Manual states, "Up until about 10 years old, your Mission is to bounce around your parents all day long like a monkey on crystal meth and crack, break s***, and not pay attention to anyone or anything for more than 10 seconds!"*

*(With the exception of cartoons, which are actually just constantly upgraded software programs to assist you in annoying your parents by begging them to the useless toys they advertise.")

I'd be veerrrryy leary to attribute the above "symptoms" as an indicator of the newest "disease" that modern medicine can solve through spending one's hard-earned cash for the latest pill...

Exactly this. This is my feelings on the matter. I don't give my kids any drugs they don't NEED to have, and if I can find a natural supplement or herbal remedy that will do the same thing, I go that route.

From Ptown to Atterbury is quite a trip especially if she is just using handguns and a .22 rifle. Why not try ECPR? Its a lot closer, plenty of INGO members too. If she is having a bad day, atleast you wouldnt have wasted a super long trip. And clays are a cheap and they break when they get hit. It might keep it more interesting.

I'd love to go to ECPR, but I can't shoot the SKS there. My oldest wants to shoot the big gun and at 11, she's ready for it. It just doesn't feel right to go to the range and not be able to shoot the big guns.

Frankly, all of you who think ADD/ADHD is a farce your an absolute idiot.

That statement was completely uncalled for. If you've done so much research into this subject, and by your posts I don't think you've done enough, you would know that many doctors find ADD to be complete and utter BS.

Also, IF, and I stress IF you've done your research into the ADHD meds, you wouldn't be shoving those meds down your kid's throat. If the immediate side effects don't scare you, then you should go sit and talk with some people I know about their long term effects.

Now, that's all I have to say about the whole "Is it real?" subject.

Since I probably won't get much better answers than I already have seen, I would like to thank everyone for their great advice. If I have any specific questions about something, please, TRY not to get this thread locked. Thanks.

 

[RA8]

Personal experience, 1st person experience mind you, leads me to advise letting her become exposed to the firearms at the same time as the other kids. DO not leave her out. If she wants to learn she will absorb herself with more enthusiasm than you are expecting, but if she doesn't want to learn, I would bring along something to keep her occupied if she is "over it" then try to give her some instruction on her own sometime later. I respect your choice to leave the meds out of her life. I wish my parents had that same attitude when I was growing up. Please PM me if you would like to talk.

(IMO) ADD is not a disability, It is a different way of thinking(and especially learning) that might not fit into our social constructs. There is better ways than meds, but sometimes they may be necessary just long enough for the child (IMO) to learn how they want to insert themselves into that society.

 

[thunderchicken]

I'm not going to beat a dead horse. Everyone is different and all meds have side effects. Just get your kid out there with the others and be patient. She'll do fine.

That's the last thing I am going to say on this issue and thread.

 

[hps]

I say take ur child shooting, if 15 minutes is her timeframe, so be it. drive an hr to shoot 15 min, WHATEVER IT TAKES!!! RIGHT??

 

[SavageEagle]

Personal experience, 1st person experience mind you, leads me to advise letting her become exposed to the firearms at the same time as the other kids. DO not leave her out. If she wants to learn she will absorb herself with more enthusiasm than you are expecting, but if she doesn't want to learn, I would bring along something to keep her occupied if she is "over it" then try to give her some instruction on her own sometime later. I respect your choice to leave the meds out of her life. I wish my parents had that same attitude when I was growing up. Please PM me if you would like to talk.

(IMO) ADD is not a disability, It is a different way of thinking(and especially learning) that might not fit into our social constructs. There is better ways than meds, but sometimes they may be necessary just long enough for the child (IMO) to learn how they want to insert themselves into that society.

I appreciate the respect of my choice. And it's not that we don't do anything about it. We give her vitamins and some herbal treatments and just watch her diet in general. It does help.

I'm thinking about taking her alone the first time, but if I just can't do it for whatever reason and have to take all the kids, it'll be in groups of two between their momma and I. Natalie isn't exactly knowledgeable about firearms, but she can keep the other two preoccupied doing whatever while I teach the other two to shoot.

I say take ur child shooting, if 15 minutes is her timeframe, so be it. drive an hr to shoot 15 min, WHATEVER IT TAKES!!! RIGHT??

Exactly.

 

[paulgl26]

my oldest one has a mild case of adhd(that is what the doctors are saying)
she is just loud,in your face and not paying attention(unless i am on cartoon network lol)
she did great the first and sec time
if it is something she likes doing she will sit there for hours
today it is her third time
this is her first time shootings (10 year old)
YouTube - Abby at range with p-22

YouTube - Abby at range with 10/22

and this is 3 weeks ago
she wanted to go to the range as a present for her birthday

YouTube - abby p22

i never seen my kid concentrate and listen so good before we went to the range
her brother started when he was 5 but i never took her because i always said she will not listen or pay attention with a loaded gun (not the case and i already got a 20 ga for them too just shopping for a kids stock)

take her and have fun
she will

 

[SavageEagle]

That's awesome! I considered getting a P22 for the kids. I really like the way they shoot too.

I have a feeling that my youngest daughter may not like shooting since she's more into princesses, fairy tales, and really girly stuff, but I may get surprised. My oldest daughter has been begging me to let her come with, but she knows that unless the D's and F's come up to C's and B's and A's she's not going. She was doing good a while back and so we took them to the Mt. Comfort Air Show. Thanks to an INGO member on here, they all got to shoot for the first time, but it wasn't much.

This range trip with my son was the first time he's shot more than ten shots. I'm really looking forward to taking the rest of them. However, I've been thinking, I've only got one .22 rifle. It'll be hard to keep them all interested at the same time just shooting at paper.

Someone suggested I got to Wilbur Wright. Can you shoot things other than paper and steel out there?

 

[Colt556]

I agree with others that ADD is a made up condition to sell drugs and justify special needs funding. I think if possible try to spend time with just her and let her burn off some energy before hand. Also maybe start with an airsoft gun to see how that goes. I haven't read all of the post here so I hope I'm not restating things. I commend you on trying to teach your kids the right way and not just sitting them in front of TV/computers like a lot of parents do.

 

[Suprtek]

I refuse to enter the argument about the validity of any of the discussed conditions because frankly, I don't believe I am qualified to have an educated opinion. However, one thing I do know is that all kids are different. They respond differently to situations, instruction and criticism. None of us could possibly know your child as well as you. You know what reactions and situations your child responds well to and vise versa. I would suggest that you try your best to maximize whatever it is you know your child to respond well to while staying away from the opposite as much as possible. If there is something you know your child to already be very interested in, try to find a way to connect the two activities in some way. Whether it be using references to the other activity in your instruction or letting the child know since they are doing something with you that you like, you would also enjoy doing something with them that they like. In short, do everything you can to make the experience a POSITIVE one. That way, even if it doesn't go as well as you would like on the first try, your child should be more willing to try again because there will be no negative feelings about the experience. I've always believed that when it comes to parenting, no matter what the problem is, the parent should always remember to avoid doing anything to make the situation worse. I'm no expert, just a guy in my 17th year as a struggling dad so all this is just my worth. Good luck in your endeavors. I wish you all the best. Try to let us know how it goes.

 

[dustjunky2000]

Just take em to a farm and have them watch you shoot a pig in the face with a 30.06. Trust me, they'll pay attention after that.