How to improve your toddlers' ability to concentrate on new projects
The education system often concentrates on primary school subjects such as math, language development, and others. Yes, the teaching styles are changing, and a lot of schools are including creative development, personal, social, and emotional development classes, you can rarely find a school that concentrates on teaching kids soft skills that come in handy later in life.
As a parent of a toddler, we're sure you can relate when we say that it's a challenge to keep children concentrated on lessons. Sometimes, even playtime is tough to keep up with.
Developed concentration skills help children and adults accomplish more of what they value. The feeling of completion drives satisfaction and an overall sensation of achievement.
So what can we, as parents, do to improve concentration and help our children develop their attention?
Here are 9 things that you can do to help your child improve their concentration
1. Introduce focus games and exercises in your playtime
Childhood development experts recommend adding fun and play to your child's education process. And since children learn best through play, it's always a good idea to introduce some focus exercises in their playtime.
2. Start with small tasks or divide a big task into small ones
A big task can be scary, especially if it's challenging to perceive it visually. Use a notebook or a whiteboard to showcase the tasks and cut the big ones into smaller pieces.
Smaller tasks will make the project seem less intimidating, and completing a lot of tasks will create much more satisfaction. Big tasks often are overwhelming even for adults, so this advice goes for parents as well.
3. Reduce distractions
Even the smallest sound can sometimes be a huge distraction for a child. If a child isn't engaged in something they really like, you will find it difficult to keep them concentrated on one task.
So make sure to get rid of all the distractions like television, electronic devices, and loud music.
4. Introduce a routine
Doing homework at the same hour every day will help your children comprehend time and schedule better. Routine is an important aspect of a child's life. It will help them make sense of time and life, and their minds will slowly get used to homework time, playtime, and leisure time.
5. Include naps and breaks in your child's schedule
Sleep is a powerful tool that you can utilize to help your child better concentrate. Make sure your baby is having a good night's sleep and introduce 20-minute power naps after school to help them increase concentration.
Schedule breaks as well, as it helps children comprehend time better. Make sure you have taken care of bathroom breaks and meal breaks as well, as they often interfere with the process.
6. Include physical activity in your child's daily life
Exercise fuels and feeds the brain. Physical activity is essential, especially when the mind has been working for hours and needs some rest.
Don't underestimate the energy toddlers have in their bodies. Scheduled and organized physical activity will let them let out some extra, built-up energy. This will help them reduce stress, anxiety, and restlessness during study time.
7. Let your children play and have fun
Concentration isn't all about reading books and sitting still while learning math. Children need their freedom, and parenting styles, such as helicopter and authoritarian parenting can be overwhelming for a young mind.
Games and leisure time is essential for the mind to recharge. You can introduce some new games to your child or if your kid likes to play mobile games, let them have a few minutes of fun. Educational mobile games can have a positive impact on your child's development and concentration skills.
8. Use a reward system
A positive reaction to a completed task always fires up those dopamines in the child's brain. Create a reward system for your children and use it to encourage them to complete more tasks and find enjoyment in what they're doing.
9. Read books together
Reading is a powerful tool for language development, mental stimulation, and concentration. Scheduled and regular reading time can increase your child's memory and help them improve concentration skills.
You can fill your shelves with books for preschoolers and toddlers and introduce reading time to your schedule.
How to spot the lack of concentration in your toddler
First, you need to remember that lack of concentration or disinterest in the project might be because of boredom. To spot the lack of concentration in your toddler, make sure they're showing these signs:
- Low or zero interest in the project or a task
- Easily distracted by moving objects and sounds
- They find it difficult to follow instructions and easily get frustrated
- They can't sit still for even a few minutes or maintain a train of thought
Once you notice these signs, you can address them by changing your strategy and finding what motivates and excites your child.
Remember that other factors (besides interest and joyfulness) affect children's ability to concentrate:
- Sleep schedule and quality
- The emotional state of a child
- Diet and water consumption
- Exercise and physical mobility
- Relaxation and leisure time
Adults say "I'm too lazy to do this" all the time, without even realizing that laziness is the dislike of the process or a project. When children are given a task that doesn't really interest them or is boring, they can quickly lose concentration.
Adults complete tasks whether we like it or not, but children can't do that. So first, we need to identify the signs of lack of concentration, and next, we have to adjust the environment for them.
So make sure to introduce some of these methods in your child's daily life and see how the concentration improves.
Raising a toddler is a challenging job, but the excited face and newly-learned words can be the best rewards for a parent.