Tales from the Steppes

2005-05-26

11:49 a.m.
Galileo's head was on the block, The crime was looking up the truth

School gets out in just a few weeks. Already the homework is slacking off and the kids are getting excited. Unfortunately, school gets out on a Wednesday at noon. Camp doesn't start until Monday. For the EM and MM, this would not be a real issue. Two days on their own would make them very happy. The problem is the YM's school is closed on that Thursday and Friday as well. I guess they think people's work schedules follow the school calendar. I would like to disabuse them of this notion myself, but that is his last day there, so I am not going to make a big fuss. Cause I know nothing would come of it. There is no way in hell the YM gets left without supervision for longer than an hour or so. If he listened to his brother and sister, it might be a different story. But he doesn't listen to much of anyone. My older sister and I were responsible for the Weasel (no, that is not his given name but just what I have always called my younger brother) until we left for college.

So now I have a problem. A month ago I would just have not shown up to work on those days. But now I have the whole leave thing, or lack therof, to deal with. I have to be at work that Thursday to go to a required tree conservation seminar. The SU has volunteered (!) to take the days off of work but I know better to trust this. Something always comes up and then it's sorry, sucks to be you. So this time I am planning for it in advance. Now I just have to find someone/somewhere.

I have been wrestling with the issue of medicating the EM for some time now. Her therapist says she would benefit from medication and do better in school. Her father is definitely for it. I am the only one who seems to have an issue with this as a solution. But then there is a question of how biased I am on the topic. The argument has been made to me that "she will be happier if she is not so scattered and is able to focus. It will take less of your time to organize her for her various activities, as you are running a bit short of time these days. If she needed glasses to read, would you withold them? This is just like that."

Hrrm. Well, ok. I want her to be happy.

But she managed to get really good grades on her report card without being on drugs, so does she REALLY need them? And you can make the argument that the fact that so many kids being prescribed with drugs really indicates a societal issue dealing with specific situations, not some new disease. Perhaps we are looking at the problem from the wrong direction. And these drugs have very real and serious side affects. The comparison to glasses is not a valid one. If I have so little time for my children then perhaps my priorities need to be rearranged

The problem is that I see merit on both sides of this discussion and I know I have a bias against medicating in general. And quite frankly, if I am suggesting that my daughter needs medication, given how much like me she is in some respects, am I not suggesting medication would help me? And that is kind of a scary thing, because I like me just fine, warts and all. It would hypocritical of me to say that it was ok for me to be scattered but not her. Of course, I am a fully functional adult who manages just fine. Mostly. But then, she is a fully functional 10 year old, who has managed to keep her glasses on her face for the last few weeks, after a suitable carrot was dangled.

I am conflicted.

But under a wee bit of pressure.

My first cut at a solution to this issue is to say that I do not know about the drugs but am willing to find out. More knowledge is generally a good thing. I have read what I could but that is not enough. I have said that I will try any drug myself before I would give it to the EM and her therapist thinks this is a good idea. We are not exactly alike but I may be able to get some ideas about side affects and efficacy. After all, the SU tries dogfood before giving it to the beast. But I am extremely, extremely leery about this experiment.