Helping Your Child Focus

Move before sitting- balancing, jumping, or midline crossing activities

Stand or kneel at desk/table instead of sitting

Sit on exercise ball, use foot swing, or tie exercise band to bottom front legs of chair for child to bounce his/her feet on while working at desk/table

Turn off unnecessary screens during school time AND limit throughout the day- no more than 2 hours/day

Teach to their learning style- visual, auditory, kinesthetic

Take breaks to move around or "be distracted" during long assignments

Create checklist for child to check off assignments once they are completed

Give specific time frames. Use timer if it motivates them- not all kids are motivated by this; some kids are agitated by timers

Create workspace away from others

Have everything within reach- pencils, crayons, scissors, etc.

Break down assignments into manageable chunks

Complete tougher assignments earlier in the day

Do one thing at a time- Multi-tasking is a myth!

Create a routine

Consider limiting activities that keep you away from home

Have 20 min. of uninterrupted reading or drawing time

Play with toys and imagination, not screens

Play thinking games- Memory, puzzles, card games, crosswords, word searches, mazes, hidden pictures, etc.

Cook with your child- Have them follow the recipe

Just sit. Have them pretend to be a statue- no moving; time them

Power nap

Reward them for a job well done- kind words, read-alouds, games, art projects, stickers, etc.

Healthy diet! Junk food is exactly that- Junk. Limit natural sugar; Avoid processed sugars; No caffeine; Good protein and fats; Veggies and fruits

Belly breathe- Have them place their hand on their belly; Breathe in through the nose making their hand rise on their belly for 4 seconds; Hold for 4 seconds; Breathe out through the mouth making the exhale longer slightly longer than 4 seconds; Do this 5-10 times.