Ways to help your child focus and pay attention

Your child is already paying attention. The question is what are they paying attention to? Children who have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder often do not pay attention to what they are supposed to pay attention to: the teacher in the classroom, their instructions to stop running around the house, or the fact that they have a test below. week in social studies class. They often pay attention to the things that are most interesting to them, like what the other kids in class are doing, what the dog is doing while scolding them, or how many home runs their favorite baseball player has hit.

Using this principle, that your child is intensely interested and pays attention to some things, you can help your child focus on situations where he is currently falling short. The main strategy is to channel your child’s energy and interest to promote the development of persistence in other tasks.

1. Sometimes children lack persistence because they doubt their own abilities. If they don’t try, they can preserve their dignity by saying “I failed because I didn’t even try.” You can channel your child’s enthusiasm for a favorite sports hero or movie or cartoon character by telling him to pretend he’s her favorite hero. If your child is fascinated by Lance Armstrong, invite him to walk and talk like Lance would. By pretending to be very confident, your child will get a feel for what it’s like to be confident and have the basis for acting from there.

2. Sometimes children lack persistence because they feel that if they have a disorder, why should they try? Since something is wrong with them. Using a person your child is fascinated with, your hero, you can ask your child to tell you what would have happened if that person had said “Why even try?” If your child is obsessed with Harry Potter, ask him what would have happened if he had given up and not tried to overcome the many obstacles he faced.

3. Use your child’s areas of intense interest to develop basic skills that will help him learn things that aren’t so interesting. For example, if your son is obsessed with cars, you can help him find books or manuals about cars. In this way, he will begin to develop some reading skills that will carry over into other areas.

4. Let your child play and exercise in nature. A recent study (Faber-Taylor et al., 2001) has shown that playing in “green environments” helps children focus and pay attention. The findings suggest that letting your child play outside in nature for a bit before sitting down to do their homework could help them focus, complete tasks and follow directions.

5. Become an advocate for your child in the school environment. Sometimes your child needs little adjustments to help him focus in school. As a parent, if you can advocate for small changes, you can make a big difference in your child’s behavior at school. For example, one parent found that by asking the teacher to let his son get out of his seat from time to time without being punished, the child was able to pay more attention in class just by making this change.

6. Develop an appreciation for what your child pays attention to. For example, often a child doesn’t pay attention to coursework at school, but does pay attention to what other children are doing. Tell your child that her interest in other students shows a lot of caring and concern for others and intelligence about how other people get along and interact. Ask her to share her views with you and comment on her abilities to understand what other people are thinking and doing. Praise your child at any opportunity for what she’s paying attention to, and find a way to reframe it as a strength rather than a deficit.

7. Find out what your child is paying attention to and encourage his interest in that area. For example, if your child is interested in sports, instead of being discouraged that his interest will not lead to academic success, find ways to show her that you respect her interest and find ways to channel that interest. When parents try to discourage their children’s interests, the child will feel misunderstood by the parent and feel lonely. As an example, you could use interest in sports for an exploration of the human body and how to promote optimal functioning. This could lead to increased interest in science classes.

In summary, the main tenets of change are to maintain a positive outlook on your child and to stay connected with your child. By honoring your areas of intense interest, you can turn your child’s problems into strengths.