Improving Focus and Attention

Last weekend I charged my husband with sitting down with our 6-year-old to work on her first homework assignment of the school year. (Yes, an assignment before school has officially started!) It was time to tackle the Back-to-School packet our daughter received in the mail and I had a project to finish for work. So, the hubs was on Daddy-Duty. Mission: Help our daughter write and illustrate a 3-4 sentence story about something fun she did this summer. Piece of cake, right?

Not so much.

Although I was in another room with my computer and coffee, even Pandora wasn't powerful enough to drown out the wails coming from our breakfast table. If you'll recall from my last post when I discussed my daughter's quest towards the Marbles Museum, she perceives schoolwork as a punishment. This assignment was no exception. There were tears. And outbursts. And many tries and attempts... But when all was said and done, the story just didn't get written that morning.

Technically we're on Day 17 of our 21-day Summer Slide project. So far my kiddo has earned 11 tokens towards her reward. And while we're not quite ready to visit the Marbles Museum this weekend as planned, we will go as soon as she hits token #21. Consistency is key, I keep telling myself.  Some progress is better than no progress. (And I'm proud to say that my kiddo wrote her story today. She just needed to do it at her pace...)

My daughter, like some 5.2 million children between the ages of 3 and 7 in the United States, struggles to pay attention. Her inability to focus sometimes interferes with her ability to learn. I have little doubt that this has contributed to her negative perception of schoolwork. Prayerfully this school year will be different. And the 11 Smiley Faces she's earned over these past two weeks represent an encouraging shift in the right direction.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, most children with attention deficit disorders face one of three types of ADHD: (1) an inability to pay attention; (2)  hyperactivity/impulsivity; or (3) a combination of the two. If your child struggles with one of these three types, there are some things that you can do to help.

• A - Activity

The same child who finds it difficult to pay attention during class likely has little trouble paying attention when watching their favorite TV show or playing a fun iPad app. But too much screen time can intensify ADHD symptoms throughout the day. Children need physical activity -- not just for their bodies, but for their minds. Research shows as little as 20 minutes of consecutive exercise can improve a child's ability to concentrate. 

• D - Discretion

As a parent, using discretion is crucial. Set limits on screen time, on the types of TV shows watched, and on the type and length of computer and video games played.  Set limits on extra-curricular activities. Make sure your child is getting enough sleep and a well-balanced diet.  Pay attention to your child's stress level and emotions. When life gets off-balance for a child, their ADHD symptoms can worsen.

• H - Hope

It's easy to become frustrated with your child when he or she has an attention deficit disorder. But when you're frustrated, your child becomes frustrated too. This trickle-down effect can be discouraging for a child who may internalize their attention deficit as a personal deficit, which is not the case. Make sure to encourage your child in their journey.  Be their champion.

• D - Dedication

Parenting is a lifelong process. Be dedicated to the journey. When all is said and done, I pray my kiddos look back and realize how dedicated we were to them. Everyone (myself included) has good days and not-so-good days. And our daughter's concentration-related struggles are such a minor blip in the bigger picture. As parents, we are dedicated to seeing her through "this" (even if,  *gulp,* it continues to high school graduation and beyond).  Just as we're dedicated to championing for our son's food allergy.  Any and all.  And everything in between.

Thought for today:  Of all the voices that play in your child's head, is the loudest voice they hear yours?  Are you cheering them on or wearing them down?

Practicing What I Preach:

• Activity - When my kiddo loses focus during "learning" time, we head outside to run sprints. My daughter runs from one end of our fenced-in yard to the other 3 times, for a total of 6 "laps" (There's no particular formula -- that's just her favorite number now because she's 6 years old). We make exercise fun, sometimes by racing her, or by cheering her on. She loves being active and is not only more focused when we resume homework time, she's in a better mood too.

• Discretion - We have become pretty strict lately about enforcing our daughter's 8pm bedtime. She needs her sleep and concentrates better the next day when she's well-rested. We're also trying hard to become more mindful of her diet and in making sure she starts the day with healthy proteins, which aid in optimal brain functioning. 

• Hope - Above everything (and all frustrations aside), we want our daughter to know how much we believe in her. Sure we want her to do well in school, but in that quest, we don't want her to become discouraged. Offering encouragement and praise is vital. While we're working hard to strengthen certain academic areas, we purposefully recognize and celebrate what our daughter does well (she is the trendiest little fashionista you've ever met; she's a sweet and caring friend; she's welcoming, inclusive, and thoughtful; she's creative and talented in all things art-related, etc., etc.).  

• Dedication - I'm learning to change my tactics... "Formal" learning isn't fun to my daughter. So, I'm dedicated to making it as fun as I can by showing her how to apply what she's learning to her everyday life. For example, instead of just practicing a handwriting sheet, I recently helped her write a letter to her grandmother in Kentucky. We then stamped, addressed, and mailed it (with a "please write back" included). My daughter was thrilled last week to find a handwritten reply awaiting her in the mailbox.