Single 31 Y/o Mom of a 3 Year Old!!

Absolutely!!! My son goes and goes and goes. I call him the Engergizer Bunny! The biggest question, when it comes to ADD/ADHD, is can your son focus on activities? For example, will he sit and play with his cars for 15 minutes in a row? Will he watch a short movie? If he does, then his attention span is normal and he's just all energy. Also, take a look at his diet and make sure that he's not starting the day off with a lot of sugar such as sugar cereals. And, of course, you should always mention this to your doctor if you are at all concerned with ADD/ADHD.

My son is the same way. It is normal. However, I was concerned for when he goes to school that he wouldn't be able to sit and focas. I got him into a GREAT preschool that is very structured and they have helped "reign" him in a bit. I wanted him to be ready for school and what will be expected of him so I made sure to get him in preschool. Daycares are great, but they aren't structured enough for what he may need. My son really strives on his schedule and works best if he knows what is coming next and consistency. The preschool he's in is about 6 kids per teacher so they can really kind of prepare him for school. This helped us tons. We saw a difference in him within weeks. When he goes to library group and stuff now, he sits and pays attention (he's 4 now) and he is much better behaved during things of this type. THANK YOU TERRY NURSERY.
P.S. I would try to avoid him being tested for ADHD (I saw the other post). Once he is labeled "ADHD kid" it is in all his records and then teachers see him as a problem before he even starts. I'd try other avenues before having him tested for anything like this. Once it's in his record there is no going back.

If your child does have ADD or ADHD, even if you medicate her it is not going to fix the underlying problems. I have found the best way to keep my very active, emotional, and talkative 3 year old from acting like he has a hyperactivity problem is no sugar/white flour/juice; regular meal times and sleep times with special "rhythms" throughout the day (check out the awesome book Heaven on Earth!)- and very little tv (MAYBE 1/2 hour per day, with special once a week movie night with popcorn we make together). Also, make sure your child has plenty of probiotics and healthy fats. Good digestion/nutrient absorption and healthy fats for the brain make a huge difference.

I know moms who have used these techniques to "cure" ADD/ADHD and that sure beats medicating the symptoms away. =)

O.,
If I were you I would contact your local Social Services Office and they will be able to put you in contact with someone who can come out to your house and evaluate her. Many pediatricians will tell you that it is just a phase or her acting her age, but I have a family member who listened to the ped. and her son just got worse and worse. Ne was not evalutated until he was in school and by then it was really hard to regulate his meds while he coped with school. He is now 11 and everythingis good. If you don't have any luck getting in touch with social services you could probably contact your local elementary school and they will be able to get you in touch with them. it is worth the evalation if you are really concerned. You might feel funny if they find nothing wrong with your daughter, but at least it will put your mind at ease. good Luck

Hello O.,
I also have a VERY active (almost) 3-year-old girl. This kid is never tired and she could clime the Mt. Everest if somebody would let her :D. But she is not distractive when hyper, she doesn’t break things or anything like that she just jumps, climes and runs around like crazy. I did realize that she is worst when she had more sugar then she should in a day, so I try to watch the sugar intake (I avoid juice but let her have some cookies). I am not going to evaluate her by Social Services because I believe that there is nothing wrong with her, she is just a very ACTIV and HAPPY kid (I am just going by “my mommy instinct”), but I will defiantly keep my eye on her especially when she gets to kindergarten. So, my advice is: you should do whatever your “mommy instinct” tells you is best for your kid.

ADD.ADHD is a catch all term for kids who lack structure an dicipline. In rare cases there is a disability, most of the time there is a child who is in a hectic situation, a super busy parent. Before you medicate him, take a pencil and write down the routene you had when you were your sons age (I know you cant be too accurate, but you get the idea) then write down his schedule. Kids act out when they think they are out of control and need attention, and think of taking all the free time a parent has and devote it to the child (yes it does mean you have no life for a long time) I guarantee each 1 on 1 hour you spend with your child and you set rules and adhere to them no matter what... You will see marked improvment. Talk with your peditrician, talk with them about your situation. Read some good books. But please, for your sons sake, dont think an active very smart 3 year old isn't aware of the stress you bring home. It is why he is the way he is. You need to take care of yourself and your family before any medicine can. Good luck.

It could be completely normal, some children are just more active than others. My two year old climbs and jumps off of thing and runs on all cylinders all day long. But she gets very hyper when its around the time to eat or when its around nap time. Maybe you need to adjust your eatting and sleeping schedules if possible.

If you really feel that your child isn't able to focus at a three year olds level, then contact your local school district. They are federally mandated to evaluate and send his case to PCSE (preschool committee for special education) there you along with teachers, and other speciality area adults will discuss the disgnosis and his needs. You then all make recommendations and have to be in agreeance. At that point he will receive services within 30 or 60 days I can't remember which. There after you will only meet yearly if there is no problems. If you do not see an improvement then another PCSE will be called to reevaluated the situation.