We have all been there. You are talking to your child and his attention drifts way, or he seems oblivious to what is going on around him. It can be infuriating because you know that he is missing important information, information that he needs to complete a task.
What can you do to make sure that your child pays better attention so that information is not missed he knows what he has to do?
Start my stopping doing things -
1. Stop nagging your child.
Your child switches off when you nag him, he knows what you are going to say so why should he listen, why should he pay attention to you? Set up the rule that you are only going to ask your child to do something once and then you are going to let him get on with it. If the task doesn’t get done there has to be consequences and your child has to learn that you will apply them.
Then he will understand that it is important to listen to what you tell him to do.
2. Say it once but say it well.
Children soon learn that if they don’t pay attention the first time you are probably going to tell them again so why should they bother listening to you? Get into the habit of saying something once and expecting your child to pay attention to what you say. But make sure that what you say makes sense and is worth listening to!
3. Make it matter
Children will only pay attention to something that is important to them. It is always good to explain why your child needs to pay attention to something before expecting him to pay attention. For instance, if your child has trouble paying attention in class explain why he should do this, what the benefits will be, why it matters.
4. Look into his eyes
If your child is young you need to be sure that he knows how to pay attention. You can start by making sure that you are looking into is eyes when you talk to him. It might men that you have to hold his head to do this but if it will help him learn how to pay attention it is worth the effort.
5. Make it clear
There is no better way of stopping children paying attention than by confusing them. As soon as your child is confused he is going to look for a way out of the situation and you will have lost him. Use short sentences, make sure that your child knows all the words you are using, give instructions in order.
6. Choose your time
Children who are in a hurry wont have time to pay attention to you or anything else. Make sure that your child has time – and energy – to pay attention to what you are saying. Make sure that your child is looking at you before you speak. This means that you have to choose your time carefully, or try to distract your child from something he might be doing. I know which I would rather do!
Children need to learn how to pay attention. It is a basic cognitive learning skill. If a child cannot pay attention he has no chance of being able to learn. There are many reasons why a child stops paying attention but you can help them develop the skills they need to be able to pay attention and become a better learner as a result.
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