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  1. #1
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    Default Race and hyperactivity, my mom's thoughts

    Warning: This post is not particularly politically correct.

    I got into a discussion with my mom, and she swears up and down and inside out that white children are more hyper than black children. She tried to give many reasons based on her own observations and anecdata that she's picked up over the years. (She's in her 60s, has substituted teaching and substituted bus driving over the years, and has been involved in spurts of child care from a very young age.) She think it's not to do with how they are raised. I asked her what, does she think it's genetic then? and she said yes.

    It's one of those things that I immediately try to dismiss with my parents, and some of their race-related thoughts. (IE, much like the time that my dad told me that maybe it's not good for me to "wear" my children in my own home made Asian-inspired mei-tais, regardless of the fact that I found them comfy and my babies LOVED them, because after all, my children aren't Asian. ) One of those things I try to explain away to her, and myself, because I know it's not right, I know, if anything the hyperactiveness and "differences" she might see in *some* children of other races, particularly, in this discussion, white children, it might have more to do with culture differences. She was trying to explain that that's why some of the biracial children we know of and in our family are so much more completely buckwild than most, because they are part white.

    But, at the same time, i HATE it when my parents make borderline statements like that and ever so often, occassionally, I start noticing "things" about one of those statements and wondering if...maybe they kinda were on to something? And it's not so much that I never see impulsive hyperactive black children. I *have* two hyperactive black children. But, at the same time, when I see a hyperactive black child, it's not quite the same, as with hyperactive white kids, a tiny bit more contained, a smidgen more respectful. (I try to pound that into my boys, respect. They can run, be crazy, get that energy out, but the minute it turns to disprespect, the hammer comes down. Hyperactivity is not the same as disrespect. ) And the number of hyperactive young black children I see is usuallly waaaay less in quantity in general than the hyperactive white children I see.

    I also notice that seasoned white teachers who also happen to be parents seem to instinctively know a lot more subtleties about how to handle my hyperactive boys in a school setting, because most of them have been there done that in a way that some of the more seasoned black teachers who are also parents just don't get. (I have notice that the latter are a WHOLE lot stricter, and just don't "get" why my children can't just "sit down" and why restrictions/punishments don't work. ) I'll add in a disclaimer here that a lot of the younger black teachers seem to do a lot better with handling my hyper boys, because I think more recent training has included more or different training for handling that type of behavior.

    So I dunno. I want so bad to dismiss what my mom says, but I'm not sure that I can. I think culture still has a lot to do with it, but some "issues" can be genetic, and more related to race, such as lactose intolerance, diabetes, sickle cell, cystic fibrosis, and so forth. Not to say that no one in other races don't get those issues sometimes, but it seems to be more in some races than others.

    Do yall think my mom was just coming from way out of left field on this one?
    Last edited by coalblacklocs; 05-03-2014 at 08:01 PM.
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  3. #2
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    Your mom may have a point to some degree, but not necessarily race. IMO I think genes & environmental issues. There's something in all of us that triggers certain behaviors when combined with other factors. RE: environmental: the food we eat, the air we breathe, visual stimuli and influences, etc. Back in the days things were simple. The term "hyperactivity" linked with children "acting up". Grandma's controlled that with an eye glance or a swift kick; or used religion to control behavior. Other cultures used their own methods to keep kids in check. However with Caucasian cultures from my observation, they seem more free spirited. I don't recall the majority disciplining their children in comparison to black culture and grand parents didn't play the role as ours. All cultures have hyperactive children but use different methods to control the hyperactivity.

    Moving forward hyperactivity increased due to increased stimuli: TV/music, video games, food, etc. and a decrease in discipline. Music makes us feel -- calm/irate. TV have an influence on behavior and brain, especially cartoons: over stimulation, fast paced media. Video games is probably the worst. Food is my biggest concern because cheaper product/chemicals is added to increase production, shelf life, cut costs, etc. These additives (sugars, dyes, chemicals) interfere with genes creating a host of health issues. The same with contaminants in the air & water in certain communities. I'm seeing more cases of hyperactivity within the black community. Hyperactivity is no longer disguised as "Bebe's kids", less parent discipline & electronic babysitting. IMO the black community is least likely to medicate children oppose to the Caucasian community. So if I side among the racial line, I'd be inclined to believe it's more prevalent today in the black community. However logically I didn't take a survey and believe other factors contribute to hyperactivity... and that could be any race.

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  5. #3
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    Disclaimer: I am not a parent

    The only thing I can add to this discussion is I never heard of Hyperactivity until I moved to the U.S. years ago and a middle school/high school age white female was describing her little brother as being diagnosed as "hyper". I think back then it was a considered a newly recognized condition. At least new to me; when I asked her to describe the symptoms he sounded like many kids I'd grown up with - I had attended all white schools until that time.

    That being said, the white boys here did seem more active/free spirited and less disciplined but I thought that was just a cultural difference between white Brits and white Americans.
    Last edited by kinkykhick; 06-13-2014 at 04:53 PM.
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