Someone finally decided drugging your kids is a bad idea. Every middle-class kid for about the past 8 years seems to be spaced out on drugs for hyperactivity, ADHD, and depression.

ADHD is an excuse for parents to not do any real parenting. In a way, it's understandable. The economy sucks, both parents have to work, and nobody has time for Little Timmy's temper tantrums, so they drug him. Kids are obnoxious, and I admit, I would do anything (legal or not) to keep them quiet. So you know my trick? I don't have any. That's right folks, I can't handle parenting, so I just won't have any kids. Not easy to do when Gap makes children the must-have accessory to all the latest fashions, but if you don't have the time, you have no right to breed.

Depression is something else again. Have you ever met a hormonal teenager that wasn't either depressed or psychotic (I was both)? Drugging them is not the answer. You'll screw up their natural body clocks that tell them when to get over it and grow up. You'll effectively stunt them, leaving them in that state indefinitely, instead of just through adolescence.

There are a few things you can do instead of turning to drugs. Try being home once in a while. That means even if you work 10 hours a day, come home at the end instead of going to the club with the boss. Spend the weekends with your family instead of golfing or getting a massage and pedicure. Because once you bring a child into the world, you've forfeited your rights to f**k around. Being a parent is a full time job, like it or leave it. I chose to leave it, and so should anyone who thinks sedating their kids till they're old enough to move out is an acceptable idea.

That's my professional opinion.

Dr RightGirl