Raising Easily Distracted Children
Parenting is a beautiful and enjoyable experience, mostly. It also comes with challenges and hardships that you already know about. It can be frustrating when you cannot understand your children or when they fail or refuse to understand you. Dodging certain situations in a thoughtful, considerate and correct manner can be very important in shaping our children’s future. Today, we will talk about children with focus issues or who get distracted very easily.
A paper, The role of selective attention on academic foundations: A cognitive neuroscience perspective, published in 2021 by Courtney Stevens states the essential role of attention in cognitive functions as it controls the flow of information between individuals and their environment. Most children with focus issues will not understand the implications that occur due to a lack of attention. Time-outs can make them feel lost and confused. Dealing with these issues in a positive and assertive manner can help them grow and become a better version of themselves.
Here are some tips that will help you raise children who are easily distracted:
Make a task chart
A task chart is something that breaks down a project into manageable steps. Setting up a schedule is never a bad idea, even when it is for children and adults who don’t get distracted easily. Completing a task list comes with a feeling of fulfilment and satisfaction which can motivate a person to do more and stay focused. The task chart doesn’t need to be long and complicated. It can be short and concise which can save you time and your child from feeling pressured into ticking everything off.
Try to make these charts colourful and visually appealing. Kids respond to colours better than something that is written in black and white. Once they complete a task, get into the habit of rewarding them. Positive reinforcement is another way that can help them stay focused. Some templates of interesting task charts are attached below. They may help you create your unique template.
Keep things interesting
Most children get bored with monotonous activities. They can lose their enthusiasm to demonstrate various skills in their development stage. Try and break down heavy assignments for them into parts. You can introduce the concept of breaks during these assignments. These breaks can be used however they want to use them.
Extracurricular activities can also help your children channel all their extra energy toward a productive direction. These activities can be anything from football to painting, chess to dancing or singing to building things.
Ask them to describe their days to you in detail and describe your days to them in the manner of a story. Focusing abilities can improve when children look forward to something. Give them things to look forward to.
Minimise distractions
Distractions are not the same as breaks. Children who lack focus also get interested in any activity very easily. So, try to minimise the availability of gadgets around them when they are busy with their school work. Try giving them objects like fidget spinners to deal with the need to do something. Make toys available to them when they are done with their assigned tasks.
Work in a calm home environment
Someone rightly said, “Home is a state of mind”. The idea is to not overload our children’s senses. A decluttered, peaceful and cosy atmosphere will help your children focus better. Try to not have arguments in front of your children. The state of the family very often is responsible for the state of children. Avoid conflicts and promote harmony in your home. Also, set up a peaceful bedtime routine for them. Nothing like a good night’s sleep can help kids focus!
Have clear rules
Be crystal clear about your rules with children and don’t bend them according to situations because that can confuse them. Set aside the number of hours you have for media, playtime, etc. Teach them boundaries and how to detach from some activities when required.
We hope these tips help you and your children focus better, together! Little Genius has various programmes where children participate in various activities that help them stay focused. They include Reading Circle Program, English Enrichment Program, Business Program and Management Skills for kids in Ahmedabad and Vadodara.
