A Crazy Little Thing Called...Attention
We homeschool 3 kiddos at 3 different grade levels. It is already tough keeping things organized and on track but its even worse when you have three kiddos that can't sit still, won't look at you when you're explaining things to them, think too much, and have the attention spans of jumping fleas!!!
Can I blame them? Sadly...no. I have the attention span of a flea, I can't even focus enough to watch a movie with my hubby. My mind goes 509 miles per minute, so quietly reading a book doesn't suffice either. Why think of one thing when I can think of 600 things at once?! After all my education, I have finally figured out what works for me. I walk & think...I think & walk...I chew gum, think, & walk...I multitask like no other. I'm not perfect at multitasking but as crazy as it sounds it helps me focus and get things accomplished. So, how do we teach kiddos with the same issues.
Inflow & Outflow
Inflow:
As a therapist, I always try to exclude any environmental and external factors first.
Keep a food journal for your child for a week or two...then make a behavioral journal for the week...do you notice any patterns? For example, my son can not tolerate the slightest bit of caffeine. Even sweet tea will boast his energy and this kid already has enough energy to power the state of Texas! Needless to say, Trysten rarely has caffeine:) and God help the person who gives my Sophee a smidgen of brownies...
Keep in mind that a food "allergy" may not be that simple to discover. For example, many people are allergic to gluten but do not know it. People with a gluten allergy will often have mood swings, a tough time digesting their foods, and tummy troubles. Many times young children will manifest their bodily pain or discomforts with behavioral outbursts (or hyperactivity) because they don't know how to explain their pain or discomfort.
Some foods to watch out for include:
A. Red, Blue & Yellow dye
B. Caffeine
C. Sugar
D. Gluten
E. Dairy Products
F. Eggs
Environmental Factors:
People swear that their bodies react differently to chemicals in their laundry detergent, shampoos, body soaps, conditioners, hair products, and even certain feminine products.
Try using the least amount of chemicals possible while keeping a behavioral journal.
Some chemicals to look for that are suspected to contribute to altering behaviors:
1. Parabens
2. Chloride (chorine)
3. Fluoride
4. Petrochemicals
5. BHT (used in many cereal boxes)
6. Sulfides
(There are many more)
My rule if thumb is, if I can't pronounce it then I am not using or consuming it!
Outflow (exercise):
Many kiddos just have a ton of energy. When we were kids in school, we had several recess times plus a full hour or two of physical education a day. Schools nowadays, can go full weeks without PE or recess...then the teacher asks why these kids have so much energy...hmmm they're confined to a windowless room full of overstimulation with no breaks.....for 8 hours STRAIGHT. Hmmm...
My advice...exercise your kids! Trust me, I am the first to admit that I just want to get the lesson completed as quickly as possible but these kiddos need breaks and time to let what they've learned sink in.
I will often forget to do this but when I do it makes lesson days go so much better. Implement a routine of 15 minutes of lessons and 2 minutes of exercise. I often ask my kids to do 10-15 jumping jacks between lessons or when they're attention is failing during lesson times. We also have a great backyard in which I will ask them to run a few laps around the playscape (during cooler weather) when I've lost their attention. I've learned that exercising is key to maintain a healthy brain throughout the day.
If you try all if these things and you still have a jumping bean at the lesson table, you may be swayed to seek medical advise. Many teachers and parents revert to medication, I'm a child therapist...medication is NOT always the answer, maybe for a few children but the majority of kiddos can benefit from a personalized learning plan and the above suggestions.
Personalized Learning Plans:
My 8 Year Old Jumping Bean:
If I had just one ounce of the energy my Trysten has....this kid almost never sits still. He will even fiddle with his thumbs during nap time (in his case "quiet/be still" time) for an hour...a whole hour of thumb fiddling! Needless to say, at the lesson table I often find myself flying by the seat of my pants and thinking on my toes. Trysten can read it and understand it simply said but he gets bored fast. I'll often implement the exercise between lessons or I'll simply ask him to push his chair back and stand during a lesson. It catches his attention and motivated him to complete whatever he's working on. We also use a large exercise ball to bounce on while working on lessons, while reading (obviously it doesn't work while writing), or while working with manipulatives.
My girls love project based learning and will often learn best when creating something or using manipulatives. We also learn "on the go" a lot! We love being outdoors so a lot of times we'll spell, sing, count, do algebraic equations and division while on a hike.
The most important concept to consider is that just when you think your child is not listening...they'll blow you away with what they've absorbed throughout their day, whether its a Spanish song they learned while jumping on the sofa or how to add double digits while walking around the kitchen (lesson) table!
Happy ACTIVE learning y'all!
