Every parent is facing a challenge. How to get his child to do his homework without forcing him to work every single minute? Have you face with this annoying problem that sometimes makes you scream? Don’t worry we all have.
Luckily for us, there are some tips that we can follow and help our children focus for a longer period of time, concentrate and do his homework or chore without delaying.
Here are 12 amazing suggestions how you can help your child develop stronger concentration and achieve more.
- Divide a Big Task Into a Few Smaller Ones
A big task can easily scare the child away and provoke resistance to it. That’s because a big task requires a lot of time, discipline and concentration- something a child can have problems with.
Instead, divide a big task into a few smaller ones. That way, after completing one task the child will be motivated to go on due to the feeling of movement and progress.
So, next time your child has an entire chapter for studying ask him to learn the first paragraph and have some rest by playing a game, then learn the second paragraph and so on. Or if you ask him to tidy up his room, let him tidy up the closet first, then the drawers, then the desk.
This way the child will be satisfied by a job well done and so will you.
- Let Them Play
Yes, you should let your children play as much as they can. But they shouldn’t play with gadgets, smart phones, tablets or computers, instead allow your children to play with regular toys and activities which improve concentration.
You can take into consideration:
Memory games – Games like crossword puzzles, card games like “Memory” and “Uno”, jigsaw puzzles and other similar games will not only be fun to play but they will also improve child’s attention to numbers, words, pictures which will improve their concentration.
Sequencing– There’s a strong connection between sequencing and concentration. So, next time you ask your child to set the table or pack up his bag, ask him to do that in alphabetical order.
Sit tight– Ask your child to sit in one position for a while and see how long he can do that. Another version to this game is “Statue”. After repeating this game for a while your child will get used to sitting longer in one place.
- Prepare the Environment
In order to help your child acquire maximum during his study time, make sure to provide him/her the best studying ambience there is. Have in mind that some children don’t mind studying in a place where there is some noise, while others need total silence.
Ambience– Soft lighting and quiet instrumental music can improve your child’s concentration.
Gadgets– Unless your child needs a computer to study, make sure that television, iPads, mobile phones and computers are switched off or kept in another room in order to avoid destructions.
Have necessary materials at the reach of the hand– Ask your child to prepare everything he’ll need for studying: books, notebooks, crayons, pencils, water and place them on a desk nearby. That way he’ll have everything at his reach and won’t get distracted by constantly getting up of his place.
- Eat Healthy Food
According to a recent trend, these days, children in US consume more coffee and drinks filled with caffeine. This way their body is filled with unhealthy sugar which sucks up their energy later.
Make sure that your child is eating healthy food, rich in proteins and vitamins that will improve his concentration and keep him agile and focused.
By eating greens and fruits your child’s body is filled with antioxidants which boost the brain to work better. Therefore an interesting study in the University of Ulster, UK suggests eating a toast and baked beans for breakfast in order to increase concentration.
- Create a Studying Schedule
A very beneficial way to help your child increase concentration is if you set a time table for studying. It doesn’t have to be a very strict and inflexible, but yet have one.
For example, when your child comes back from school give him a snack and let him play outside for an hour or hour and a half.
Then give him another snack and tell him to prepare for studying. The child should study for hour or hour and a half and then let him have some rest. Repeat the same schedule every day and you’ll notice results.
The child will be more organized and concentrated because he will have goals and completed tasks after every segment of the day. His brain will be wired to know when studying time is.
- Short Naps Improve Concentration
Aside from having a good night’s sleep, a power nap of twenty to thirty minutes after school or in the afternoon will also help your child concentrate more.
- Everybody Has a Different Method of Learning
Not all children have the same method of acquiring new knowledge. Some children need to hear the new information, others need to see it, while some have to touch and feel the thing in order to understand it. Therefore, there are visual, auditory and kinaesthetic methods of learning.
You need to know which category your child falls under in order to help him concentrate and learn better.
Visual method
If your child is visual that means that he learns better if he sees things. For this type of learners you should:
- Allow them to read the new information and then write it down too.
- Use flash cards to help him study spelling or new vocabulary.
- Let your child draw an image while you are introducing him with the new information. This way he will also practice his motor skills.
- Although, when a child is writing something down while studying it looks like nothing but scribbles to us, for a visual learner that’s another way of memorizing new things.
Auditory method
If your child memorizes the information after he hears it, than he’s an auditory learner. You should let this type of learners:
- Read the material aloud or listen to someone else reading it to them. So, audio books are better choice for these learners.
- Quiet instrumental music can help these learners increase concentration and remember more.
Kinaesthetic method
If you notice that your child studies better when he touches and feels the subject matter then he is a kinaesthetic learner. For these learners you should:
– Provide as many touchable things as you can. For example, if your child is learning about planets take him to a planetarium or if he is studying history take him to a museum.
- Prepare Your Child for the Next Task
When you notice that your child is engaged in a task, just before he is done, let him now the next one. Allow a few minutes between tasks and start the new activity.
Use this trick to force an unwanted activity to your child, since he’ll be too distracted by the previous one and won’t have time to show aversion to the next one.
- Set Short Time Goals
Investigate whether your child works well under pressure and set short time limits for a few pages.
Allow your child a break after every time set. Have in mind that an adult can stay concentrated for about 42 minutes, so the time limit for a child should be no more than 20 minutes.
However, if you notice that your child gets agitated and nervous when he works under pressure don’t use this method.
- Praise Your Child
Children always respond well on praise after even the thinnest completed task. So, next time your child does his homework correctly, don’t forget to praise him, or even reward him with a chocolate or a toy.
- Use Energy Efficiently
Observe carefully when your child is most productive, in the morning or in the afternoon and assign tougher activities when your child is high in energy. As the energy level goes down, switch to easier tasks.
This ways your child will use his energy in an efficient manner.
- Deep Breathing and Imagery
Let your child sit in a yoga position and tell him to close his eyes and take deep breaths. Tell him to imagine positive images and ask him questions like: What’s he seeing?
How does the image make him feel? What can he hear? What’s distracting him from focusing? Next, ask him to get rid of those distractions which ruin the perfect picture.
Once your child is able to put aside these distractions, you’ll notice that he’ll be able not to pay attention to other distractions while studying and be able to focus more.
To Conclude
Focusing is a skill like any other, so in order to improve it you need to practice it regularly and persistently. These 12 amazing tips for helping your child focus will not only improve his concentration but they will also strengthen the bond between you and your child.
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A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.
