It can be difficult for a child to stay focused. The last thing you want as a parent is to have your child’s teacher call telling you that they are having trouble concentrating in class. It can be a difficult task to think that you can help your child focus in school when you are not sitting with them. Difficulty concentrating can occur at any age. Adults even have difficulty concentrating on certain things.
What causes a lack of focus in our children?
Lack of focus can be a lack of interest or even a lack of understanding. It can mean that your child cannot sit still or that your child is easily distracted. Your child may be a daydreamer who tends to be on their mind more than in the present. Difficulty following directions or the inability to organize things can also contribute to a lack of focus. Another lack of focus may be that your child is too social and it is more important to be social than to be attentive. Finding the cause of the lack of focus can help you fight it.
Lack of concentration in school
If there is a lack of focus at school, you can help your child put themselves in a better situation so that they can focus better. This can mean that they should sit in front of the classroom. This means that there are fewer things to look at between you and the teacher. Get away from distractions. This may mean sitting away from the classroom door or window. Make sure you have an organized workplace in the school. Help them organize their notebooks, tasks, and folders.
Another thing that you can help with is homework. Help your child list what to do. Sometimes it’s not that you are out of focus, it could be that you don’t know exactly where to start to finish something. Break big tasks down into smaller ones. If they have a school project that needs to be completed, help them break the project down into smaller achievable goals. Don’t allow them to get overwhelmed when they have more than one task to complete. Give them one task at a time. If your child has a lot of homework to do, schedule breaks. Give your child their own space to do their homework and have a time to let them know they should work on it. Keeping to a schedule will help your body switch to focus mode at the same time each day.
Communication & learning style
Figuring out what will help your child focus and learn can be important in helping them focus. Talk to them, ask them what they think helps focus. Does sitting or standing work better for them? Do you like extreme quiet or a little background music? It is best to study visually, make flashcards, draw or read aloud. Fidgeting doesn’t necessarily mean your child is not listening. If they’re fidgeting, it may mean their body has to get up and move around for a minute. Some children like to fidget to focus.
Games that improve focus
Outside of school, you can help your child focus by playing focus games. This can be a puzzle or a crossword puzzle. Freeze dance can also be a focus game. It keeps your child’s mind listening to the music until they stop knowing to stop dancing. Simon says, or head, shoulders, knees and toes are all games that get your child moving but can also train their concentration skills.
Mindfulness
Another thing you can work on with your child is practicing mindfulness. Mindfulness lives in the moment. As you practice this, your child can learn to be more in the present. So if you notice your mind wandering, you can bring your mind back to what is happening around you. These can be breathing exercises where you sit still and focus on each inhale and exhale. Or you can let them stand and focus on how their feet feel when they hit the ground. There are many mindfulness exercises that your child can benefit from.
Repeat Repeat Repeat
You can check that your child is actively listening by asking them to repeat what you just said.
Unstructured game
It is important to give our children time for unstructured play as well. Preferably outside.
Vitamin D
The importance of vitamin D in our body is amazing. The best way to get natural vitamin D is in the sun. So if your child comes home with a boatload of energy, they can run outside on their own without guidance, can work wonders when they have to come back to do homework.
sleep
Getting enough sleep at night can also help your child stay focused in class.
Diet food
Lack of focus can also result from diet. Consumption of too much sugar, dairy products and gluten can impair the ability to concentrate. Make sure your child’s blood sugar stays in balance throughout the day. Adding healthy fats to their diet can improve brain function, which also makes them more focused. Foods rich in magnesium can also help your child focus.
Increasing dopamine levels can also be of great help. Dopamine is the brain chemical responsible for focus, motivation, and enjoyment of activity. Dopamine is released when we do activities that we find comfortable. Not having enough of it can lead to disinterest and focus. You can increase dopamine levels with certain foods like seaweed, protein, beef, chicken, turkey, fish, cheese, pumpkin, nuts and seeds, beans, lentils, spinach, avocados, oats, bananas, watermelons, chocolate, spirulina, broccoli, cauliflower , Berries and apples.
Bring away
Helping our children focus can benefit them throughout their lives. Learning the techniques that will help our children learn and focus best can help everyone. Even adults sometimes need help with focusing. So don’t forget that the average adult can only focus on something for about 42 minutes without a break. So a child’s focus can be much less. Finding fun ways to practice focus and learning some mindfulness can help your child stay focused in school.
READ MORE: Vitamin D Deficiency
Following a daily schedule will help your body switch to focus mode at the same time each day.
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