5 June 2018
 Categories: Health & Medical , Blog

The ability to focus and pay attention for long stretches of time is one of the most important skills to have when it comes to succeeding in school. If your middle school child is having issues with a short attention span, now is the perfect time to work on improving it. The longer you wait, the more likely it is for your child to establish bad work habits that will be harder to uproot.

1. Start by Ruling out Medical Issues

If your child is having problems paying attention, they may be suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In that case, they may require medication used in conjunction with behavioral changes to truly improve their attention span.

Take your child to a pediatrician to have them tested for ADHD and other mental disorders that may be affecting their ability to focus. Talk to your pediatrician about your plans to help your child improve their attention span so that your pediatrician can prescribe the most effective medication if needed.

2. Schedule and Limit Electronic Device Usage

Overusing smartphones, tablets, and video game consoles can wreak havoc on your child's attention span. Those devices offer an instant gratification that can neurologically condition your child's brain over time: hard, sustained work will become more difficult because your child will have become conditioned to expect instant rewards for their efforts.

Limit the amount of time your child spends playing with electronic devices. Use the time as a reward for after they've finished all of their schoolwork and chores. Also, stick to a strict schedule where playtime is allowed only at the same time each evening. That will help your child form a habit where they aren't consciously or subconsciously craving playtime throughout the day, which will help them focus on their work.

3. Get Your Child into Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness meditation has been proven to improve practitioners' ability to focus, both in children and adults. Essentially, you sit quietly for 15 minutes a day and focus solely on your breathing. You observe the thoughts that pop up in your head and let them pass rather than getting caught up in them. Doing so habitually will translate into your everyday life over time: you'll catch yourself daydreaming or spacing out which allows you to snap your attention back to the task at hand. It's a great tool for improving your focus and working more efficiently.

Establish a mindfulness habit with your child by setting aside a scheduled time every day where you both sit quietly and meditate. If you need help starting out, there are a myriad of guided meditation audio tracks you can find for free with a quick Internet search. Stick with the habit for several weeks, and you'll start to notice that both you and your child have the ability to focus and pay attention for longer stretches of time. 

For more information, contact a company like Better Family Care.