My Journey from Sugar Burner to Fat Burner - jenn26point2's Primal Journal page 218

[jenn26point2]

I'd say start at 50mg (not timed released form) on an afternoon you can afford to get a bit sleepy. If you don't get sleepy from it, keep it at that time. If you don't notice any mood improvements in a few days, add another capsule with dinner. Repeat as needed. She says you can take up to 300mg, but I don't think you'd need that much since your mood has been good. It may just be lack of sleep right now, but I like to think it helps your body recover faster if you give it some help for a little while.

I can't really afford to be sleepy any day, but since I'm already sleepy today and totally desperate to have a mood fix (since 16 days of low carb, high fat doesn't seem to be enough - could be TOM though, but I think the major hormonal portion of that is over) I'm going to start today. I will not get to bed until after 10. What time do you recommend I take it today?

I picked up a bottle of NOW 5-HTP for $8 at our local hippy-mart. It's a bottle of 30 each 50mg capsules.

[namelesswonder]

I would say start at dinner (maybe 6PM ish). 50mg sounds like a good place to start. Try to make a mental note of how you feel within an hour after taking it each night, and how you feel waking up in the morning (also keeping in mind how much restful sleep you got due to kid interruptions).

I can usually tell a difference within a couple of nights (falling asleep more quickly, staying asleep, less groggy in the morning) once I get the dose right. Then I start to realize that my mood/stress management is improving too.

[jenn26point2]

I'm hopeful. Thanks.

[tomi]

I hope you can get it worked out with the school. Maybe switching him to another classroom (teacher) will be better. They may all use the color chart (stupid) thing - but a different teacher may not be so dang militant about it. Dropping a color because he took of his stupid birthday crown!!! thats rediculous! Maybe you need to have a conference with the principal???? or administrator if there is no principal.

That just makes me angry!! how frustrating for little Brady! and you too! GRRRR --- I want to yell at that teacher!

[jenn26point2]

Tomi, mind going in my place? lol Dealing with this teacher is so different than dealing with Mrs. Holladay (his preschool teacher). Mrs. Holladay only had good things to say about Brady. If there was a problem, she'd email me and say "Brady had a rough day today. This is what happened" and that would be the end of it. She worked with us and offered advice and took our suggestions and we made it work. She gave him an assessment that showed he was ahead of his peers and sent him with the teaching assistant to the library every day to work on sight words instead of the regular lesson. There was another girl who went with them b/c she also excelled.

Mrs. Riggs, however, makes us feel like we're the ones in trouble whenever we meet with her. According to her, Brady is average in regard to mental capabilities and really needs to work on his impulse control and behavior. Maybe the two teachers are supposed to measure different things, but it just seems like such a huge contrast! How could he go from glowing model student who was bored all the time and causing disruptions to an average minded kid who just does not behave?

Mrs. Holladay talked so highly of Brady that we all three got teary-eyed with pride but Mrs. Riggs just talks him down all the time. I don't like it.

[Ayla2010]

Jenn this is a quote from one of the authors I mentioned "An impressive body of scientific research has shown that the more we reward people for doing something, the more they tend to lose interest in whatever they had to do to get the reward. Now the point isn’t to draw, to read, to think, to create – the point is to get the goody, whether it’s an ice cream, a sticker, or a 'Good job!'"-- Alfie Kohn

I get daily emails from the other author, and this quote was in it

[Ayla2010]

Just thought you might find it interesting, since its one of the reasons we don't do praise/punishment.
The author goes into more about punishment and reward systems too. Not sure how my son will go, once its in school as well, but I guess we will deal with it when we get to it. Hopefully the influence at home will be enough that it won't affect him too much.

[Ayla2010]

sorry here is another link that could be relevant for you:
Dr. Laura Markham > Why Positive Parenting?

Tell me to bugger off if you aren't interested. Just another avenue I guess, as I can see this is all frustrating to you

[tomi]

I think this teacher may be picking on him a bit. Teachers are subject to bias just as we all are. And if she isn't seeing that he is advanced in his learning than she isn't doing her job! Maybe suggest a trial classroom change to see if he does better in a different environment and with a different teacher. One month............ if teacher won't help with this then go above her.

[Pebbles67]

Tomi, your ticker number is getting bigger fast. Yay!

Edit, Oops, sorry Jenn, thought I was in the EMF thread.