Maintaining focus and concentration is a common challenge for children, especially in today’s world filled with distractions. Children’s concentration levels also vary greatly depending on their age, individual personalities and circumstances. As a parent or carer, being patient and implementing strategies tailored to your child’s needs can go a long way in helping improve their concentration over time. This article explores effective techniques to try with children of all ages.
Eliminating Distractions
The first step towards better concentration is removing potential distractions from the environment. For young children, make sure the space where they play and do activities is free of screens, loud noises and excessive visual stimuli. For school-aged children, designate a quiet homework area without TV, phones or any other devices present.
When your child needs to concentrate, minimise disruptions. Let other family members know this is the time they need to focus. Gently redirect your child back to the task at hand if their attention drifts. However, be realistic about expecting young children under age six to concentrate for long periods. Take regular sensory breaks to get wiggles out.
Cultivating Focus Habits
Work on building your child’s ‘focus stamina’ with fun activities that engage their attention. Reading together, doing puzzles, playing board games and following craft instructions all require concentration. Praise them when they persevere through challenges.
You can also directly teach focus strategies. For example, suggest closing their eyes, taking some deep breaths and visualising their task before starting when they feel distracted. Or have them put on noise-cancelling headphones and listen to calm music when concentrating. Establishing these habits early helps concentration.
Physical Activity and Rest
Physical activity and adequate rest are both essential for concentration. Schedule active time in your child’s day to release pent-up energy. Team sports are great for older children as they combine focus with exercise. Just be sure young children get enough rest through 10+ hours of sleep nightly and daytime naps if needed. A well-rested brain can better sustain attention.
Managing Stress
High stress levels impede a child’s ability to concentrate. If you have fostered a child with a fostering agency like activecaresolutions.co.uk, they may have additional stressors from past trauma. Work on identifying and managing sources of stress. Teach calming techniques like deep breathing, visualisation or yoga. Communicate openly and make time for bonding through activities you both enjoy. Seek professional help if stress seems unmanageable.
Educational Support
Learning difficulties like ADHD and dyslexia can significantly impact concentration. If your child struggles to focus in school for an extended period, raise this with their teacher and school. They can put interventions in place and recommend assessment if a specific learning difficulty is suspected. Getting the right educational support makes a major difference in helping children with additional needs concentrate.
In today’s stimulation-filled world, maintaining focus is difficult even for adults. While children’s concentration naturally wavers, you can help strengthen it by eliminating distractions, building focus stamina, keeping them active and rested, reducing stress and getting educational support if required. With your encouragement, they can better manage their attention and reach their full potential.
