Concentrate!
Life is full of situations that demand our focused attention, and concentration is a skill that must be developed. By helping your children learn to "stay on task," you ensure their future success in school, at work and in the world beyond. The following article shows the importance of certain behaviors - and your example - in developing your child's ability to concentrate.
The Importance of Touch
Your touch is one of the first ways you communicate with your newborn. As you protect and cradle his head in your hands and look into his eyes, this loving connection becomes a familiar routine. Because your touch is gentle and your voice is kind, he feels completely at ease with you, and your time together is something he learns to anticipate. This face-to-face communication will serve as a valuable training tool in the days ahead.
The Importance of Tone
When your baby is fretful or squirming, turn him to face you and change your normal tone of voice to a whisper. This not only tweaks his interest, it puts his focus on you, which is what you want. Now, for the split second you have your son's full attention, brag, "Good boy! You're paying attention!" Then release him to be active again. Doing this is one way to reinforce the fact that when you are looking directly at your child and speaking in a calm voice, you are showering love and affirmation upon him.
The Importance of Focus
As babies mature, they are able to focus on objects for longer periods of time. Gently turn your child to face you and smile while holding up a book, rattle, stuffed bear or some other favorite toy. Say, "Look at what Mommy has for you!" Your daughter will sense that you are pleased with her attentive behavior. Quickly reward and reinforce her focused response by handing over the desired object.
The Importance of Curiosity
Since toddlers are often distracted and on the go, this stage is probably the most important of all in the training process. Your child's natural curiosity is a valuable tool, so use it. Toddlers love to play, and you can train them while doing something fun. Indoor activities like building blocks and art fun can become opportunities to focus. Let your child set a timer for 5 minutes, and during that time, encourage discovery and playful behavior. When the timer goes off, brag, "You were really concentrating while you built that block house (or drew that picture)."
The Importance of Imagination
Imagination comes into play during the preschool years, so take advantage of it. A pair of plastic "reading" glasses, some toy binoculars or a child's magnifying glass are great tools for this age. Play the Zoom game, and tell your little one "We are going to look real closely and see if something is hiding from us." Examine bubbles during bath time, the design on a favorite shirt, food packages and pictures in a favorite story book. This same game can be played outdoors with rocks, flowers, grass, etc. Before your child's attention span shifts, change activities. If you stop while there is still some interest, you will be asked to "do it again!" another time.
The Importance of Listening
When giving instructions or asking your children to respond to your question, be sure they look at you. If you've been doing your homework all along, your voice and eye contact represent something special to your little one by now. This is why being calm and pleasant is so important. Who wants to look at someone that is fussing or yelling? The voice is an important communication tool, so use it wisely.
You can also incorporate simple listening games to reinforce the importance of paying attention. Inside, have your child wear a blindfold or cover her eyes while you make various noises. See if she can guess what you are doing. Outside, sit on a quilt and play "What do you hear?" (Examples: train whistle in the distance, a bird chirping, the neighor mowing his yard, etc.)
The Importance of Example
All along, you have been using words like "pay attention, focus, concentration," etc., and your child has become familiar with them. It's important that you set the example by paying attention to detail, too. How often do you enjoy a close-up look at the petals on a flower? Ask your child to show you some things he likes, and take time to really concentrate on the details of his toy, his book, etc. When was the last time you stopped and turned to your spouse or children when they spoke to you? By making eye contact, you show that you really are paying attention.
Teach your children to respect the concentraton of others. If you are working on a project and your son interrupts, tell him calmly, "Just a moment. I need to concentrate, or I'll mess this up." Then finish the sentence you are on, the seam you are stitching or the ingredient you're measuring and give him a few moments of your full attention. Be sure to thank him for respecting your need to concentrate. Remind him that "when we concentrate, it helps us do everything better."
The Ultimate Reward
Training young children takes time. They don't learn to brush their teeth, handle a spoon or use the potty in one easy lesson. In the same way, learning to concentrate requires lots of repetition. Through the use of games, activities and most importantly, a good example, you are preparing your children for the future. And by teaching them how to concentrate when they play, study and work, you are almost guaranteeing their success.