In the years past parents often choose to stop ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) medication during summer vacation, and weekends when children were out of school. These are called drug holidays. A drug holiday simply means taking a break from stimulant medication. Stimulants, like Adderall and Ritalin only stay in the blood a very short time, around 12 hours, which makes late afternoons and early mornings difficult to manage for some children.

A long time ago, the professional opinion believed children taking stimulant medications needed these drug holidays to prevent drug tolerance and to allow a child’s body to catch up in the normal growth cycle. Although there is still a great debate amongst professionals as to whether or not stimulants cause stunned growth in children taking them, unless a child is severely underweight a drug holiday may not benefit the child.

Although stopping ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) medication during the summer months may work well for some older children who are learning through life experience other ways to handle ADD or ADHD symptoms such as impulsivity. Yet stopping medication on school holidays may not be fair to younger children who need help in controlling hyperactivity and impulsivity on a daily basis.

It is important to remember ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) affects children in all aspects of life, not just at school. In this case stopping the medication during the summer may not be fair to a highly impulsive or hyperactive child. Yet, if both the child and the parents are willing to stop medications over the summer, a little pre-planning may be a good idea.

One technique is to decide on a code phrase, such as do you need a drink of water, which allows a parent to signal to an overly stimulated child he or she needs to settle down. It is important to use the code phrase sparingly, yet when given the child knows to go take a mental time out and recoup.

Keeping hyperactive children physically active during the long summer months will help keep them from bouncing off the walls. Some simple yet great ideas include walking the dog in the morning and afternoon, jumping on a trampoline, riding a bike, or learning simple relaxation techniques to self-calm.

In the end, children who are constantly being yelled at or berated for impulsive and hyperactive behavior when off his or her medication will not feel good about themselves and this can cause huge issues with self esteem. So always, consider carefully before making any changes when things are going smoothly.

Before stopping any medication, always consult your child’s physician for instructions on how to proceed, as certain medication may cause withdrawal symptoms if stopped without tapering from a higher dose to a lower dose. Also, know how to restart the medication if necessary. Just as when one chooses to start a medication, the benefits must outweigh the risks.