Olympic Inspiration for Kids with ADHD

If your a parent of a child who suffers with ADD or ADHD, you know that there is plenty of information, news and research that can fill you with anxiety. But as the world turns its attention to Beijing in the next week or two, there is also inspiration and hope to be found in the pool. Swimming sensation Michael Phelps will be going for a record-breaking eight gold medals this year in the 2008 Olympics. He also struggled with ADHD as a young boy. His mom, Debbie Phelps hopes that parents will find hope in her son's story and launched a website to help parents share information and find support.
This weekend on Family Matters Radio we’ll find out about alternative treatments for ADD and ADHD, some of which you may have never considered before, or even know about with Dr. Frank Lawlis, author of The ADD Answer.

Does Your Child's School Make the Grade?

How well do you know your child's school? Do you depend on media report cards or government comparison charts? Do you know what constitutes a good school system? Try this quick quiz provided by parenthood.com:

Which of these is correct?
(a) Standardized test scores are the only real measure of a school’s performance.

(b) It’s not necessary for you to check out what your child should be learning at each grade level

(c) Your local high school has nothing to do with your child’s elementary school.

If you answered yes to any of these. You need to do some homework.

Tune in this weekend to Family Matters Radio when we talk with Judy Molland, author of Straight Talk About Schools. She'll offer insight on how you can figure out if your child is attending a really good school and the best ways you can help your child succeed in every school year.

Speaking of school evaluation...
We want to give special recognition to a principal in the Rocky River School district in Northeast Ohio for his heartfelt confession to a newspaper columnist about the realities of standardized tests and its effect on the education of our children. His honest revelation is refreshing in a world of self-protection and political spin. His students, teachers and fellow administrators should be proud. You can read the full article here.

Screen Time Harmful to Play Time

Do you ever find yourself saying to your child, "When I was a kid I was always outside playing?" Truth be told, Caroline and I often laugh about how much time we did spend indoors watching Gilligan's Island and Dark Shadows- yes, we did have our share of screen time too. But times have changed and their is so much more screen choices. If your child doesn't want to watch one of the hundreds of cable channels, she or he can choose a DVD, a gaming system or a computer game online or offline. It's no wonder that they want to stay inside, sit and watch. The graphics outside in the yard can't compare. But new research is proving that families really need to put an effort into unplugging for the sake of developing young minds at play.

This weekend on Family Matters, we'll talk with psychologist Susan Linn, author of The Case for Make Believe about how crucial child's play is - and what parents and educators can do to protect it.

Can They Keep it Quiet for the Kids Sake?

Gossip columnists and late night talk show hosts are having a field day with the current celebrity divorce news. From A-Rod's flings to Christie Brinkley's revenge tactics, the daily trash talk has led to feeding frenzy for the celebrity press. But the other side to all the fodder is that there are children involved in both of these families. Children who not only must endure the pain of experiencing the divorce of their parents, but are also forced into a spotlight they never asked for. It shouldn't matter who your mother or father is- we should all be the adults in this matter and put the kids first.

Last week we talked with relationship coach Kathy Dawson about research concerning the legacy of divorce and children. It's a must-listen to anyone who has experienced divorce or thinking about it in the future. You can tune into the podcast here.