Improving your child's focus

Working hand in hand to help children
improve their focus at school.
(Illustration by Jack Moreh/FreeRangeStock.com)

We received a progress report on how my daughter is doing in school this week, and the results were not as good as I'd hoped. Her grades are fine; the problem is with her ability to follow directions and stay in her seat.

I had already decided to get her to learn meditation with me by the time this report came home. Improved focus is supposed to be one of the benefits, according to an article on Headspace and other online resources I've found, so I feel hopeful meditating a few minutes every day can help.

But I'm not pinning all of my hopes on meditation. I've been reflecting, trying to pinpoint my own behaviors that possibly haven't helped.

For instance, when we are eating as a family, my husband constantly reminds her to sit back down and finish eating. Until recently, I never noticed how often she gets up when she should be finishing her meal, and that's because, unlike my husband, I've allowed her to get up and wander, as long as she eventually sits back down and eat.

Likewise, I've noticed that when my husband and I also handle going over her spelling words differently. If her mind starts to wander, I wait for her to come back. My husband reminds her to focus. 

I think in these cases, I need to better follow his example.

Does your child have focus issues? How do you handle them? Share your ideas in the comments section.

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