Let’s be honest, it is not easy for children to concentrate; mainly as they are still learning the fundamentals of self-regulation and all the distractions in their environment can pull their attention away from what they should be doing.
However, if you want your child to learn and grow as a person, they must develop healthy focus habits early on in life. In this blog post, we will explore some tips that you can use to help your child develop good study habits.
Keep sugars, junk food, and caffeine to a minimum
It is important to keep sugars, junk food, and caffeine to a minimum when it comes to improving your child’s concentration and focus. A balanced diet is essential for keeping the body healthy and energized so that your child can stay focused throughout the day.
Provide a healthy, high-protein breakfast with few or no simple carbs.
- Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
- It is essential to eat a balanced diet, and that includes breakfast.
- Avoid high-carbohydrate foods like pastries and sugary cereals. These foods can lead to spikes in blood sugar levels, which will make your child feel tired.
- Instead, try healthy options such as oatmeal with nuts or eggs and fruit.
Encourage calmness and relaxation in the morning before school
In the morning, your child needs to be calm and relaxed. If your child does not have time for this before school, try getting them to take a few minutes out of their day for an activity that calms them down.
It’s also important to ensure that they get enough sleep each night. As part of this process, you may want to set an alarm on your phone or tablet so you know when it’s time for bed at night – then make sure everyone in the house turns off their screens by then (including tablets!) so they can fall asleep faster.
Establish a regular daily routine including bedtime and waking time, as well as mealtimes and homework times.
Make sure your child has the right amount of sleep. Studies have shown that children need more sleep than adults need, so setting a good example by getting enough rest is important.
Make sure your child is eating regular meals at regular times during the day, which can help keep their energy levels up and make it easier to focus on their schoolwork.
Have clear rules about when homework needs to be done—for example, after dinner or before bedtime—and stick to them consistently so that your child knows what’s expected of them without having to ask each night (and can see for themselves how much progress they’ve made).
Limit screen time and television watching to an hour or less each day
To help your child develop focus, it is important to limit screen time and television watching to an hour or less each day. It is also beneficial to set limits on the other activities children do to foster their focus.
For example:
- No more than one hour of screen time per day (no screens 1 hour before bedtime)
- No TV during meals
- No TV while doing homework or studying for tests at home
There are other activities parents/carers can do to help their children develop better concentration.
Implement daily exercise into your child’s routine
Exercise is one of the most important things you can do for your child’s health. Not only does it improve their physical health, but it also helps with their emotional and mental health as well.
- Blood flow to the brain improves, which helps improve focus and concentration.
- Exercising regularly helps build self-discipline, which is an important skill for all children to learn.
- Regular exercise can manage stress and anxiety in children, leading to a decrease in both physical and emotional symptoms of stress.
- Exercise leads to better memory skills by improving overall cognitive function due to increased blood flow to the brain, which increases oxygen levels within those cells (oxidative metabolism).
- Physical activity improves sleep quality because it allows our bodies time to recover from daily activities like schoolwork or playing sports at recess time–this also means that when kids get enough rest during this period they will be better rested when it comes time for them go back into class again so that they don’t fall asleep while sitting there listening
Discourage multitasking
Multitasking is a myth.
Studies show that when we are stimulated by too many tasks or activities at once, it can impair our ability to focus on one thing for any length of time. The brain has to reorient itself to each new task, which reduces efficiency and performance levels.
Furthermore, multitasking involves shifting attention between multiple tasks with little or no downtime in between—not ideal for improving concentration and focus.
To avoid multitasking:
- Set specific times and places for different tasks (e.g., homework does not have the same time slot as playing video games).
- Be aware of how long each activity takes so that you can allot adequate time and space (e.g., 20 minutes of homework followed by 15 minutes of playtime).
Give praise for good effort and work completed, not just for the final grade your child received on the paper.
You can also praise your child for the steps he takes to get there, no matter how small they may seem. For example, if your child has been working on his homework every night and is making progress but still has difficulties with concentration or focus, make sure you tell him that you believe in him and that you know he can do it. Let your child know what a great job they are doing!
Good concentration comes from taking care and creating good habits around learning
The most important thing you can do to help your child focus is to take good care of yourself. This means more than just eating right and exercising regularly—it also means setting a good example by being mindful at all times, whether you’re working on schoolwork or playing outside with friends.
If your children are having trouble concentrating, try some meditation techniques which have been proven repeatedly to help people concentrate better and stay calm in stressful situations. It is easy for kids (and adults) these days to get too distracted by their phones or video games; meditation gives them an outlet for healthily releasing those pent-up emotions.
They will feel calmer and happier overall when they’re able to clear their heads without needing an outlet!
Make sure your child is getting enough sleep
Sleep is one of the most important factors in helping your child focus and concentrate. A lack of sleep can harm your child’s ability to focus, with effects lasting all day.
To help ensure that your child is getting enough sleep:
Help them establish a regular bedtime routine. Your child should go to bed at the same time each night, and getting up at the same time every morning helps set their body clock. This will help them get into a schedule where they are going to be tired at night and ready to sleep early!
Avoid screen time before bedtime (no TVs or tablets for an hour before bed). The blue light from these devices can make it harder for children to fall asleep by disrupting their circadian rhythm (their sense of when it is night or day). Instead, try reading books together as an end-of-day ritual; this will encourage your child’s connection with books while also helping them relax into sleep!
Make sure electronics such as phones and computers have been removed from the bedroom as they emit electromagnetic radiation that interferes with proper brain function during rest so keep these out as much as possible!
Final Thoughts
A good way to keep your child focused is by involving them in fun activities. At the same time, you should also make sure that their interests are protected and they remain disciplined at their work. One of the best ways to do this is by providing them with a healthy lifestyle where they can perform well in school without any external distractions.
