Suggestions for a teen with a high school schedule

[Anonymous]

We’re working to find a solution that helps my 14 year old daughter. Since she is in high school so she often has activities after school. Therefore homework may last until 11 pm or later.

The ideal medication will allow her to complete homework late at night without affecting her sleep. Oh, and did I mention that she is a bit underweight, so we can’t affect her appetite too much either!

She did very well on the Daytrana patch, but she reached the maximum dose and it was no longer working well for her.

I’ve heard that Intuniv might be worth investigating. Anyone else have high school aged kids who have found a solution to late night homework issues?

Thanks in advance!!!

DSK

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[Scattybird]

Well I don’t have kids so I suppose I shouldn’t comment, but it seems tough for a 14 year old to be doing homework to11.00 each night. By the time she unwinds it must be approaching midnight. Seems to me she would be better giving up some of her other activities and doing the homework at an earlier hour and going to bed. Sorry – maybe I’m old fashioned and out of touch, but sleep must be vital to a girl of that age.

You don’t actually say if she’s got ADHD? If the meds are just to keep her awake then that’s wrong. If they are to help her concentrate and she works late because of ADHD issues then fair enough.

Sorry if I have go this wrong…….

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[kc5jck]

To answer your question, I don’t know of any meds that have helped in our case. I doubt you’ll find anything that is going to shut off predictably at a given time so the poor child can sleep.

I had kids, a boy and a girl. My daughter would get her homework done fairly quickly or even before she left school and then stay up late at night reading. She does not have ADD. My son’s story, into which I’ll not venture, was entirely different.

I would say that if your daughter has to stay up that late doing homework then she is starting too late or has too much homework to continue extracurricular activities that take up much time. But I realize that the activites that she does may be too beneficial to eliminate or have cut back. That’s for your to decide and not for us to judge.

Sorry I’m not more help, but at least you know that people are reading your post and want to help.

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[Anonymous]

11:00 PM, plus………plus what???? Really….every night….how long do after school activities last….mealtime…school work, sleep time?

Something sounds off, or maybe part of the picture is missing…..have you met with the school counselor….and explained the details of what your daughter is going through, and or spoken to your family GP about all of this, in detail?

Maybe that is a better place to start….this all sounds excessive……but it is not for me to judge…..it’s not my place, nor do I feel comfortable doing so.

Toofat

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[Anonymous]

I guess i’ll add a bit more explanation…

This is not an everyday issue. But there are days when the amount of homework and the events of the day coincide in a perfect storm.

For example…

School ends at 4:10. Marching band practice can last until 6 or 7. Come home, eat dinner, enjoy a little family time/relaxation before starting homework. So if there happens to be a lot of HW that night, it can run late.

DSK

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[laddybug3]

I would finish my most of my homework in resource. It was a study hall, but we had to do our homework and best thing was teachers were there to help. They expected us to have our assignment notebook, written homework down, and to do our homework. Ask for help. I recall a time when I was at school at 6:30 a.m. and left at 10.

Had a club or two, more like three everyday, and was president for most of my high school years? Heck, I had a mental break down the last day of my senor year.

That would be what…8 years ago. Wow.

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[kc5jck]

It may be that the Daytrana is still working fine, it’s just that it is not up to meeting the needs required with the extra occational load. Perhaps your doctor would be willing to prescribe a light dose of Adderall to be taken in the middle or late afternoon to help during the late hours.

I would think that marching in a band would be good for someone with ADHD if they can manage it. If you explain the situation to her school or instructors, maybe they would cut her some slack, perhaps by giving her an extra day to turn in homework.

Good luck.

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