An inattentive child: what should parents do? What to do if the child is inattentive and absent-minded Inattentive, restless child

Reading time: 7 minutes. Views 4.3k. Published 06/25/2019

There are often cases when a child’s attention is completely scattered: either he forgets to write down his homework assignment, or he doesn’t remember what time lessons start tomorrow, or he didn’t take his notebooks or textbooks.

More than one parent wonders how to help their child avoid sitting for several hours on homework. Making comments doesn’t help, repeating the same thing over and over again just gets tired. We need to find some method on how to independently develop attentiveness in a child. All the tips are in our article.

Why children are distracted and inattentive: 6 reasons

You can notice that your child has distracted attention even in kindergarten. He does not play any game for a long time, he is generally not interested in activities that require perseverance: drawing, modeling from plasticine, putting together puzzles or mosaics.

But parents notice that their child is restless and inattentive, only at school.

What to do when a student’s performance begins to suffer?

First of all, you need to determine the origins of childhood absent-mindedness:

Distracted attention disorder usually goes hand in hand with hyperactivity disorder. In the scientific community, there is a short abbreviation for this condition: ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Those children who receive this diagnosis are very active. It is actually difficult for them to overcome themselves and concentrate on any activity. They are constantly distracted by any reason. Once a diagnosis is made, corrective measures must be taken to prevent symptoms from worsening over time. The later treatment begins, the more difficult it is to administer.
Sometimes parents themselves provoke the development of inattention in their child by showering him with toys. Due to the fact that every time the baby has a new hobby, he does not need to remember and become interested in something specific. Thus, memory training does not occur, and the baby becomes absent-minded. How to develop attentiveness in a child in this case? It’s very simple: stop buying more and more toys for your darling, despite your boundless love for him.
If your baby suffers from colds and viral diseases, his general condition cannot be envied. Not only is all energy spent on fighting diseases, but the lack of oxygen, movement and sunlight also affects us. After all, a child with a cold won’t go for a walk! Concentration suffers from this, and the student becomes distracted, even if there is nothing at home to distract him from his studies.
The home environment definitely affects a child's ability to focus on schoolwork. When parents, children, and grandparents live in a small apartment, you can only dream of silence. The second case is when adults constantly make trouble. The child’s psyche becomes unstable, he expects sudden loud sounds and is accustomed to listening to his surroundings. That is, there is never complete concentration on work.
Another factor that negatively affects a child’s ability to concentrate is excessive workload. Ambitious parents want their offspring to be the most successful, the most gifted, and so on. Based on their selfish motives, they shift the burden onto the children’s fragile shoulders. The student is required to have excellent grades at school, he is taken to developmental classes in languages, or mathematics, or chess; as well as sports sections and compulsory reading at night. But any resource is not limitless, and even the most reliable mechanism will break under constant stress. In the case of children, attentiveness is the first to suffer.
The diametrically opposite situation is when a student fails in his studies because he does not understand why he needs it at all. Parents, and then all adults, have no authority in his eyes. What they are trying to explain to him about the importance of education, he considers insignificant. Much more important for him is communicating with the yard company or playing online shooting games. Here we are not talking about distracted attention, but about a lack of motivation to get an education. As soon as the child realizes that he desperately needs this, he will be transformed before his eyes.

Based on everything that is listed, it becomes clear that the cause of childhood forgetfulness is not always a congenital disease.

Very often, absent-mindedness becomes the result of improper upbringing of a child.

And if so, then there is probably a recipe for how to deal with inattention.

What not to do

Realizing and accepting your own mistakes is very difficult. Especially for an adult when it comes to relationships with a child. It’s much easier to say: “He’s such a slob himself, there’s nothing you can do here!” Yes, shifting the blame onto the baby is the simplest, but not the wisest solution.

It depends only on the parents how their child will grow up. You need to instill the right values in your child from an early age, because then it will become almost impossible to get at least some truth into the head of a teenager who doubts everything.

The most common mistake in raising children is categorical prohibitions. It’s easy to prohibit; it’s more difficult to explain why you can’t do this. But you still need to tell how to do it right and why it’s right.

The ban lasts as long as the controller is looking. And if you explain to your child the reasons and consequences of his actions, he will begin to think independently every time before committing an action.

The reverse version of a simple ban is a long and tedious lecture to the guilty child about the basics of morality and morality. At this moment, the parent-“lecturer” feels at his best: he also pays attention to the younger generation. But how is this perceived by a baby who has recently gotten out of the potty? But no way!

A lecture as a punishment is meaningless, because the child will meet it with hostility.

Then, the ability to assimilate information in adults and children is different and depends on language development: a child will not understand half of it. This is often forgotten, or even not known at all, by those who try to “read morals” to small children.

Another thing is the time during which the child’s brain is able to concentrate. A first grader has scattered attention, and this is normal for his age.

With the development of intelligence, he will learn to consciously manage concentration, maintaining it on a certain topic for a longer time.

Therefore, moral teaching will be effective only if two conditions are met:

The listener's willingness to accept information favorably.
Briefness of the lecture (what is not allowed, why, how to fix it, what are the benefits).

The main mistakes of parents

Now let’s briefly touch on other mistakes that parents make when trying to correct their child’s absent-mindedness.

What not to do:

you cannot scold for inattention;
ridicule is an insult to a child, especially in public;
you cannot compare your child and a “good” child - this is how you claim that yours is bad;
doing independently what a child can do - this provokes his lack of diligence and immaturity;
force the child to redo the work many times (to remember).

Blaming a small child for your own mistakes in upbringing is dishonest. Dear parents, try to accept that the child’s absent-mindedness, if it is not caused by illness, is your failure.

Only by working together will you improve the situation, but you need to treat each other with respect.

What will help a child become more attentive?

If you notice excessive mobility, excitability, coupled with a lack of concentration in your baby, then take him to a neurologist. Maybe the reason for the absent-mindedness lies in ADHD.

Your attention to his life will make the baby more confident.

Praise him for his successes, participate in doing his homework (don’t do it for him, but guide his train of thought). Teach your student to double-check their work. The presence of a parent mobilizes the child's concentration.

Create a comfortable atmosphere at home. While doing homework, close the door to your baby's room or turn down the TV volume. Also, set a time limit for homework to make sitting at your desk productive.

Motivate your child a little every day. Stories about your successes at work related to the fact that you studied well are suitable; praise for successes, extra minutes of computer use, or money for books read.

Remove excess load, if any. Chronic fatigue syndrome is not the best companion for a small child.

Also suitable are educational games that train memory:

chess is the alpha and omega of good memorization;
anagrams - make short words from one long one;
funny poems or favorite songs to remember - excellent brain training;
computer pictures like “Find the cat”.

Conclusion

As you can see, overcoming absent-mindedness can be easy and fun. The main thing is to practice memory development regularly.

Love your children, be closer to them, and then you will be surprised at their successes!

Attention disorder can be treated in different ways. They depend on many factors - on the causes and origin of this symptom, as well as the person himself - his character and individual characteristics.

You can correct absent-mindedness in a child with the help of special activities aimed at improving concentration. These are puzzles and logic problems that the child must solve. It is also important to clearly distribute activities throughout the day, allocating more time for physical activity and proper rest. If no mental illness is detected in the child, then the cause of absent-mindedness will most likely be a lack of interest in the activities offered. So at the initial stage of adjustment, you need to try to solve the problem without using medications. It is necessary to captivate the baby so that he himself is interested in what he is doing - then he will be able to concentrate better.

A growing child's body requires a balance of healthy vitamins, because its absence can also cause problems with attentiveness. In this case, it will be useful to take a complex of vitamins. If the problem arose due to disorders in the immune system, you can undergo a course of treatment with immunostimulants.

Drug treatment

Among the medications that can treat absent-mindedness in a child are psychostimulants, which must be taken under the supervision of a doctor.

Glycine, which is a nootropic drug. It helps improve mental abilities, increases performance, and affects the increase in protective processes in the central nervous system. The dosage is 1 tablet. under the tongue.
Piracetam, which improves brain metabolism, which helps to better absorb school material. For children, the daily dose of the drug is 30-50 mg.

Side effects: irritability, anxiety, nausea, diarrhea, headaches, tremors, convulsions.

Contraindications: should not be taken by children with diabetes and allergies to fruit juices. It should also not be administered to infants under 1 year of age.

Biotredin, which has a positive effect on the cognitive functions of the brain. It increases alertness and improves memory. The dosage for children is 2 mg/kg body weight for 3-10 days.

Contraindications: do not take together with antidepressants, antipsychotics, tranquilizers.

Phenibut helps improve blood flow to the brain - it improves brain performance, memory, and helps to better remember a large amount of information.

Contraindications:

pregnancy;
when breastfeeding;
liver failure.

The dosage of the medicine for children is 20-250 mg. More precisely, it is prescribed by the doctor, depending on the individual characteristics of the patient.

Side effects: anxiety, irritability, and excessive excitability may occur.

Physiotherapeutic treatment

Absent-mindedness in a child can be corrected without the use of medications - the course consists of various procedures, including correction by neuropsychological and pedagogical methods, psychotherapy, and behavior modification methods. Physiotherapeutic procedures are also used.

Laser therapy - the course includes 7-10 procedures, one of which involves irradiation of 3-5 zones of the body.
DMVtherapy, consisting of 8-10 procedures.
5-10 inhalation procedures.
Course of ultraviolet irradiation of the nasopharynx for 3-5 procedures.
An ultrasound course consisting of 8-10 procedures.

Parents need to consult a psychotherapist, where they will be explained that they should not perceive such behavior of the child negatively - he does not do this on purpose, so he needs to be treated patiently and with understanding. It is also necessary to ensure that the child follows a daily routine - eats at a certain time, does homework, and goes to bed. Let him get rid of excess energy during long walks, running, jumping, and doing physical exercises.

Because it is difficult for such a child to concentrate, try not to overload him with tasks - let there be only one for a separate time period. You should also carefully select his play partners - they should be calm and balanced.

Traditional treatment

Absent-mindedness in a child can be treated with some folk remedies.

For example, juniper berries work well. You need to eat them, starting with 1 piece per day, and so, gradually increasing by one, to reach 12 pieces. Next, you need to carry out the reverse course - in descending order.

Prickly tartar - pour 20g of boiling water over the grass and leave on low heat for 10 minutes. The resulting tincture should be drunk 3-4 times a day, 1 tbsp.

Mix together 2 parts of chopped dry root of rosea rhodiola and echinacea and add hop cones (1 part) to the resulting mixture. A tablespoon of this collection is poured into a glass of boiling water and infused for a quarter of an hour. Add honey (2 tsp) to the resulting decoction and drink throughout the day, dividing the contents into 3 parts. This course lasts about a month.

Immortelle herb is poured with boiling water (about 10 grams), after which this tincture should be wrapped in a towel and left to infuse for 30-40 minutes. When the decoction is ready, you should drink it in a dosage of one-third of a glass. The procedure is performed 3 times a day.

Very useful for the body in general, and for improving alertness in particular, ordinary garlic. Eat 1-2 cloves before each meal.

Herbal treatment

You can improve your child's attention in various ways. In this case, taking medicinal herbs will not hurt. They have a positive effect on the body, although we must not forget that such treatment should also be prescribed by a doctor. Herbs such as chamomile and lemon balm have a good effect on absent-mindedness in a child. They promote better concentration and have a calming effect.

A method such as herbal medicine is also used.

Hawthorn tincture has a positive effect - drink a quarter glass of it daily. The recipe is as follows: grass flowers (1 tbsp) are poured into a glass of hot water and infused for 2 hours;
Drink 2-3 times daily 2 tablets of valerian tincture - it also has a calming, softening effect;
A medicinal herbal mixture consisting of various herbs. It includes motherwort (take a dose of 3 parts), cudweed (also includes 3 parts), hawthorn (again 3 parts of the mixture), chamomile in the form of flower baskets (1 part). Next, take 1 tbsp. the resulting product is poured with a glass of boiling water and left for 8 hours. Next, the collection is filtered and taken twice a day after meals, half a glass.

Homeopathy

Homeopathy can be used as an alternative to drug treatment. It may be prescribed if a child exhibits a toxic or allergic reaction to medications. Homeopathic remedies improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, increase the body's defenses, treat adenoids and behavioral problems - for example, absent-mindedness in a child.

This symptom can be observed in the presence of hyperactivity syndrome. The child not only becomes too noisy, rowdy and uncontrollable, but also behaves inattentively - he may forget, lose things, etc. Numerous examinations have shown that with this disease the behavior of children who took individual doses of homeopathic remedies improved significantly - they became calmer, more careful, more attentive, the constant absent-mindedness has disappeared. Among the most effective homeopathy remedies for ADHD are:

Stramonium, used as a decoction for baths, take 20g of the product per bucket of water (dilution level 3 or 6);
Cina – the course lasts 2-3 months, take 7 grains of the drug 1 time/week;
Hyoscyamus niger, used as bleached oil, which is used for external rubbing into the skin.

In today's rapidly changing world, overflowing with a huge amount of information, it is becoming increasingly difficult for even adults, let alone children, to remain attentive and concentrated. Distracted attention in children today is becoming almost the norm, and more and more often children's specialists are diagnosing attention deficit disorder, abbreviated as ADD.

Absent-mindedness is quite common in children

In medical practice, the first description of this problem dates back to the middle of the 19th century. German psychologist G. Hoffman created a collective image of the little fidgety Phil and explained in detail the causes of ADD and ways to combat this disease.

Symptoms of distracted attention

Children with ADD are characterized by hyperactivity and mobility. They are unable to sit still even for a while and do the same thing, even if it were incredibly interesting for the child. Such children forget everything, they are sloppy and clumsy, they cannot remember the task, much less repeat it.

Absent-mindedness leads to learning problems

Dissipation of attention is especially pronounced in elementary school. Such a student will endlessly fidget at his desk, disturbing his neighbors and the teacher and disrupting the lesson, although he does not want this at all. Usually a smart and talented fidget cannot fully demonstrate his abilities. The desire for leadership also does not give results, because such a child does not get along well with his peers and usually does not gain authority.

Thus, children with absent-minded attention live in constant disharmony with themselves and the world around them. They need special care from parents and teachers, an individual approach to education and learning.

Lack of attention is usually associated with neurobiological disorders, problems with hearing or vision, and diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Therefore, you need to be able to recognize whether a child really suffers from ADD or whether he simply does not want to do what is required of him due to other reasons, for example, laziness.

Definition of absent-mindedness and its causes

Causes of inattention

From research results it is known that ADD is diagnosed in approximately 5% of children in the world. This is a fairly large number, and it is constantly increasing. But in fact, there is not a parent who would not note the inattention and absent-mindedness of his child. Before drawing any conclusions, it is necessary to analyze the conditions in which a little person studies and rests, his regime and loads, as well as his behavior and methods of education.

Here are several reasons why a child may be inattentive and uncollected.

Education methods

You should not overprotect your beloved child. If a child knows that they will definitely help and prompt him, and even do the task for him, then he will have no need to focus his attention and train his skills. As a result, he will not strive to develop and improve.

Daily regime

For preschool children, it is necessary to adhere to a certain daily routine. The child should know what time he should read a book or draw, and when he can just play in the yard with the boys.

Every child should have a certain daily routine

Having learned from childhood to properly distribute his time, he will be collected and concentrated in adulthood.

The younger the child, the more difficult it is for him to maintain attention. But even a very small baby is able to concentrate on a bright toy or a lit light bulb.

Gadgets cause absent-mindedness in teenagers

Features of physiology

Any disease can reduce a child’s attentiveness. After an illness, a certain recovery period must pass and absent-mindedness will disappear.

Mental disorders

Disturbances in the functioning of the brain and disruptions in the activity of the nervous system inevitably affect the child’s concentration. Only a neurologist can identify these serious causes.

Parents should not demand special attention from a child with mental disorders. Such children are taught in a special group according to a special program.

Defensive reaction

Absent-mindedness is often a defensive reaction to stress.

Distracted attention can be caused by the body's defensive reaction to fear, fatigue or stress. If a student cannot solve equations in mathematics, then fear takes over, and his ability to concentrate during a test decreases sharply.

Lack of vitamins in the body

Unnatural food products, poor ecology and, at the same time, enormous physical and mental stress often lead to rapid fatigue, and with it, absent-mindedness.

Lack of vitamins leads to absent-mindedness and lack of interest in everything

Lack of interest

Very often, parents and teachers note the child’s absent-mindedness, which immediately disappears as soon as he begins to do his favorite thing. If, while learning the multiplication tables, a friend comes to visit and brings a train as a gift to the child, it is completely normal that all attention will be concentrated on the toy. Therefore, when trying to keep the child’s attention on a specific subject, it is necessary to create an appropriate atmosphere.

An overabundance of impressions and information in children reduces attention

Genetically determined factors

Inattentiveness can be passed on to the child through the parents' genes. If the father or mother is alcohol dependent or hyperactive, or in cases where the pregnancy was complicated, ADD may occur.

Ways to eliminate ADD

Only sometimes, in especially severe cases, does a child’s absent-mindedness require treatment with medication. Usually, if a doctor has diagnosed ADD, they try to make do with the use of drugs that stimulate the immune and nervous system and the creation of certain conditions for the child’s rest and study.

In order for the baby to be collected and attentive, parents need to establish a clear daily routine. Meals, sleep times and exercise should be scheduled in advance. You should leave two hours for free activities, when the child will draw or build a house for a doll.

Children should have feasible responsibilities around the house

The child must have a range of responsibilities. You shouldn’t help him fulfill them at the first request. Let him wash his own dishes, make his bed, and put away his toys. Children should be given more independence. This will increase the child’s attentiveness and allow him to express himself.

But at the same time, you cannot leave the child alone with his problems. He should always feel the shoulder of an adult nearby and hope for his help and advice in resolving difficult situations.

Puzzles teach you to concentrate

From early childhood, it is necessary to conduct attention-developing activities with the baby. You can collect cubes or children's puzzles. If the child does not keep his attention on one thing, you need to attract him to action by asking him to take the green cube, or to color only the middle of the flower.

It is very important not to forget to praise your child. If your child has distracted attention, you should not give him obviously impossible tasks. And if you succeeded even a little, you should not be stingy with praise.

You should never demand too much from a child. Life is sometimes so intense and eventful that sometimes you can just go to the forest or to the river, allowing yourself and your child to get rid of tension and fatigue.

If your child cannot concentrate on one thing and does not know how to concentrate, then this can greatly hinder him in life. Probably, in this case we are talking about attention deficit disorder. How to identify and fix such a problem?

What it is?

Attention deficit in children is often called attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This is a condition accompanied by various deviations and disturbances in behavior, mental activity, and social activity. This term appeared relatively recently. They began to use it at the end of the last century.

But this condition began to be regarded as a diagnosis only in the present century. Today, ADHD is diagnosed in approximately every 10-15th child. Most often, the problem is detected between the ages of 4 and 9 years (it is simply impossible to make an accurate diagnosis earlier). Surprisingly, the number of children with this problem increases every year; some experts even talk about a kind of epidemic.

Boys suffer from ADHD 3-5 times more often than girls. This deviation also occurs in adults, but more often children outgrow it. In some cases, manifestations persist into adulthood, but become less obvious.

There are several types of attention deficit:

Individual attention deficit without any other obvious manifestations.
Attention deficit combined with impulsivity. This is a more complicated case.
Attention deficit and hyperactivity. A complex condition that significantly impedes learning, socialization and other processes.
Mixed type. The most complex option, this condition can have a wide variety of manifestations.

How does it manifest?

How does absent-minded attention syndrome manifest in children? Here are some possible signs of this condition:

The child cannot concentrate his attention on one thing. This leads to mistakes when performing both school assignments and simple household chores.
It may seem that the child is not listening to you or does not understand what you are talking about.
Restlessness, inability and unwillingness to sit in one place and do one particular thing for a long time.
Difficulties in following instructions, directions, prescriptions.
Difficulties in self-organization and self-control.
Clutter in the room and workplace.
The child is quickly distracted.
Forgetfulness is often observed. But it is not associated with memory problems, but with the inability to concentrate on one thing.
Children often lose or forget their things.
It seems that the child is not goal-oriented, but in fact he simply does not understand how to go towards his goal to the end, since he cannot concentrate on it.
Difficulties in interacting with peers, with teachers, with family and friends.
Behavior problems. Often children with absent-mindedness syndrome are disobedient, noisy, rude, and do everything out of spite.
Anxiety.
Carelessness, negligence.
The child is constantly spinning, cannot sit in one place, jerks his legs and arms, gets up from his seat (even when this is prohibited), tries to climb somewhere, break something.
Often such children are very talkative, but at the same time they cannot maintain a conversation on one specific topic.
The child answers questions without listening to them to the end.
Impatience. For example, standing in line or waiting are real challenges for such a child.
Often, children with attention deficit disorder are obsessive and may seem ill-mannered.

What causes distracted attention syndrome?

The nature of the development of this condition is still unknown, but there are several assumptions and theories. We list the possible reasons:

Most scientists agree that hereditary factors play an important role. Specific genes have been identified that may influence behavior and provoke some manifestations of diffuse influence syndrome.
Deterioration of the environmental situation. Some experts believe that certain adverse environmental conditions can trigger the development of ADHD.
Birth injuries in a child and complications during childbirth (traumatic brain injuries, asphyxia, prolonged or difficult labor) and related problems and conditions.
Diseases suffered by the expectant mother during pregnancy and complications during pregnancy: intrauterine infections, hypoxia, umbilical cord entanglement, smoking and alcohol consumption by a woman during pregnancy, uterine hypertonicity and the threat of miscarriage, Rh conflict, abnormal position of the fetus, and so on.
Traumatic brain injuries can also have an impact.
Some diseases of the child, such as heart or pulmonary failure, kidney disease, brain disease, asthma.
Illnesses suffered in the first months of life, accompanied by a significant increase in temperature (such an increase has an extremely negative effect on the state of the child’s brain).

Diagnostics

Making an accurate diagnosis is not so easy, because all the symptoms listed above can also occur in other pathological conditions, diseases and disorders. Therefore, a specialist must monitor the child’s condition and behavior over time, and also rule out other diseases.

A special role is played by parents, who must, at the doctor’s request, accurately describe the characteristics of their child’s behavior in certain situations. It may take several months to make an accurate and definitive diagnosis.

How to get rid of the problem?

It's worth noting that in some cases, children outgrow ADHD. But this is only possible with long-term and constant work by doctors, parents and loved ones.

Here are some measures that may include the treatment of absent-minded attention syndrome:

Taking certain medications. It is necessary only in case of obvious and serious deviations and violations. Children may be prescribed sedatives. Taking strong drugs in childhood is dangerous and harmful. Any medication must be prescribed by a doctor.
Changing lifestyle, regime. So, if a child cannot sit still at school and lags far behind his peers, then it makes sense to switch to home schooling. An individual approach and adjustments to the training program will make the process as comfortable and effective as possible for the child. It is extremely important to properly organize your daily routine. Compliance with it will help discipline the child and teach him order.
The specialist should give advice to parents and tell them how best to organize their child’s activities and how to behave in certain situations. Firstly, you should not force a child to do something, this will only make him angry. Secondly, be patient and don’t be nervous, otherwise your child will be nervous. Thirdly, always show your child that you love him.
In some cases, regular visits to a psychologist, certain classes and exercises are required.
Sports can help. It will provide an outlet for energy and allow you to discipline the child.

Health and success to your child!

The dream of any parent is a healthy, active child who studies well, successfully masters the skills of playing instruments and drawing, and always manages to fulfill his plans. But, unfortunately, these dreams are overshadowed by one unpleasant trait of the baby - inattention.

Causes of childhood inattention

Parents should not panic and make an appointment with a neurologist. First you need to find out the reasons that led to this problem.

Hyperactivity or attention deficit in adults. It is not difficult to notice such children on the playground; they are not in one place for a minute. They are always in a hurry, rushing somewhere and distracted by all sorts of external factors. Problems of this nature are detected at the age of 3-5 years and require great patience from parents. The upbringing of such a child should be under the supervision of doctors, teachers and psychologists.

Frequent protracted illnesses. Poor health is another reason why a child forgets everything and is inattentive. To replenish your child’s energy reserves, it is necessary to systematically take courses of vitamins for schoolchildren.

Features of the nervous system. Attentive, active and stable children with a labile character. Their inert classmates will be more lethargic and mediocre.

High loads result in fatigue. Experts say that the intensive school program and the desire of parents to involve the child in all circles leads to overload. As a result, efficiency and attentiveness decrease.

Lack of motivation. Even a one-year-old baby will pay his attention to the toy that he likes. When performing boring, uninteresting tasks, attention drops exponentially.

Risk group

An absent-minded and inattentive child is not uncommon today, but in some cases the problem is especially acute. Stress, chronic fatigue, unharmonious daily routine, abuse of unhealthy food and poor ecology aggravate this character trait. Parents must make every effort to provide their child with ideal living conditions.

Signs of an inattentive baby

Absent-mindedness and lack of concentration in a child can manifest itself in the following:

Quick, superficial completion of assigned tasks, especially school assignments.
Slowness.
Daydreaming.
Fatigue quickly even from a small amount of work.
A large number of errors when performing simple tasks.
Lack of attentiveness and concentration during work.

Finding a solution to the problem

If a child is inattentive, what should I do? The main thing is not to get excited and not make complex diagnoses. All parents should remember this. Pediatric experts recommend training voluntary attention from infancy. To help moms and dads, there is a wide range of educational toys in children's stores. Dynamic attributes will improve the attention of babies up to one year old.

If problems with attention disorder appeared in adulthood, for example, when the child entered kindergarten or school, it is necessary to look for the main causes of inattention. Teachers recommend optimizing the child’s workspace as much as possible - setting aside a separate quiet place in the house where he can concentrate and prepare his homework.

Inattention in class

Developing memory and attention is a direct path to straight A's. The main reason for the absent-mindedness of a primary school student is the insufficient participation of parents in the educational process or its complete absence. To develop a child’s attentiveness as much as possible, you need to work with him from the first day of school, including vacations. First of all, it is necessary to find out what teachers and parents mean by the concept of “inattention”. Secondly, observe how the child’s absent-mindedness manifests itself.

There are often cases when a student is inattentive in a particular discipline. This means that the subject is not interesting to him or the teacher is unable to interest the children. If confusion continues at home, something is probably bothering the baby.

How to help your child become more attentive?

In an effort to help a child, adults need to be guided by just one rule - you need to educate not the baby, but yourself. This work is not easy, it takes a lot of effort and time, but the result will be simply stunning! By and large, not much is required from parents:

It is important to understand that all efforts made in the fight against a child’s inattention will be nullified without daily classes and exercises. They are simple, accessible, and do not require special time or emotional investment. In return, they will provide an entertaining pastime and a great mood.

“I won’t get lost” - an exercise to develop attention

A simple technique is aimed at developing concentration and eliminating attention distribution disorders in children. The child is asked to count to 31, saying each number out loud. In this case, numbers that contain three or are multiples of this number should not be named. Instead, the student should say “I won’t get lost.” For example: 1, 2, “I won’t get lost,” 4, 5, “I won’t get lost,” 7, 8, “I won’t get lost,” and then up to 31.

"The letter is prohibited"

A typical mindfulness task. An adult names a letter that should not be used in a word. The child is asked a simple question, for example, what is the teacher’s name, what day of the week is it, etc. He must give an answer without hesitation, excluding the forbidden letter from the phrase. For example, the letter “n” is forbidden; when asked what month of the year it is today (November), the child must answer “October”.

The essence of the exercise is simplicity. You should not ask too difficult questions; the student should answer without hesitation or hesitation. If the wrong answer was given, the partners change roles - the child becomes the leader and asks his questions.

"Observation"

With this exercise, an inattentive child will be able to develop visual attention. Mom or Dad should invite him to remember objects that he has encountered many times. There are a lot of options - grandma's apartment, the way to school, the location of attractions on the playground. It is necessary to describe in as much detail as possible, paying attention to even insignificant details.

The game can be a team game. For example, one of the children acts as a responder, and the others prompt him or complete the answer.

Educational game for attention “Palms”

The described attentiveness task is perfect for children with impaired concentration. Several players (the more, the more interesting) sit in a circle and place their palms on the knees of their neighbors. The right hand of each participant should lie on the left knee of the neighbor on the right, and the left hand on the right knee of the neighbor on the left. At the command of an adult (you can turn on fast, catchy music), you should raise your palms one by one, forming a smooth wave. Guys who raise their hands at the wrong time are excluded from the circle of players. The winner will be the one whose palm remains in the game last.

"It flies - it doesn't fly"

A game for developing attention for children, aimed at training its voluntary switching. Participants sit in a semicircle. The presenter, teacher or parent begins to list the items. If the spoken object is flying, children must raise their arms above their heads, otherwise they must sit still.

As soon as the guys get the hang of it, the boss can begin to play tricks by raising his hand up on a non-flying object. Due to the power of imitation, the hands of some participants will rise intuitively.

The task of each child participant is to raise their hands deliberately, not paying attention to the actions of the neighbors and the leader.

Riddles for developing attention

Riddles for attentiveness will help in a playful way to increase a child’s intelligence and ability to concentrate.

Riddle No. 1. The chest lies at the bottom of the ocean. It has everything but one thing. What is it about?

Answer: emptiness.

Riddle #2: A plane flies from Berlin to New Mexico. You are his navigator. There will be one change in Paris. What is the navigator's last name?

Answer: defendant's name.

Riddle No. 3. You are locked in a dark room, holding a box with one match inside. There is a kerosene lamp in the corner, a gas stove on the table, and a candle in a glass. Which item will have to be lit first?

Answer: A match. An excellent riddle for attentiveness and the ability to find the simplest solution to a problem.

Riddle No. 4. How many black peppercorns will fit into one glass glass?

Answer: None, peas don’t go.

Riddle No. 5. It started pouring rain, I had to open my umbrella. What umbrella am I standing under?

Answer: Under wet. Simple logic problem.

Riddle No. 6. Two men are walking towards each other. They are absolutely identical in age, height, etc. Which of the men will be the first to say hello?

Answer: The most polite.

Riddle No. 7. Seven sisters live in the country, no one sits idle. The first girl watches TV, the second cooks dinner, the third does a crossword puzzle, the fourth plays chess, the fifth takes care of plants, the sixth washes clothes. What does the seventh sister do?

Answer: plays chess (this is a doubles game, so the fourth is unlikely to play alone).

Lack of concentration is a common problem among schoolchildren, which is especially aggravated in the winter and spring seasons. There are a great many factors responsible for inattention; we will look at the most popular ones and solutions.

A child needs attentiveness in all areas of life and not only in learning; its absence can become an obstacle to learning notes or learning new information. In addition, violations often lead to accidents on the road, at home or in a school institution, so you should look for the cause and solutions as soon as possible, or even better, start with its prevention. However, when attentiveness already interferes with the perception of the world around us, in this case, not preventive measures are needed, but a whole set of actions.

Inattentive schoolboy - understanding the concept

First, let's listen to medicine, from the point of view of specialists, attention deficit is a violation of the ability to concentrate on a specific thing or any action, which changes depending on the time of day, interest, mental stress, nutrition, and also the use of certain medications. The main indicators of inattention in a schoolchild are:

inability to concentrate - the child is inattentive in class, easily distracted when doing homework by external stimuli - knocking on the window, voices of neighbors, pet
absent-mindedness - gloves, pencils are often lost, or the socks worn are of different shades
inattentive performance of everyday tasks - holes are missed when lacing; when completing math assignments, not all numbers are written down.

Of course, 99% of people on the planet are not capable of prolonged concentration, but if attention deficits occur regularly, it’s time to look for the cause.

Why a child is inattentive - reasons

There are many reasons leading to the inability to concentrate on a specific goal, among them there are internal and external factors. Internal, this is what is associated with psychological stress, for example, unpleasant situations or personal fears, thoughts about which do not leave the mind. They are also expressed by a lack of time to rest between lessons or additional education (clubs).

The level of complexity of the task being performed also plays an important role here; if it is difficult, the child feels tense and doubts arise that disrupt attention. The same effect occurs when the action being performed is too easy, the student simply loses interest. In addition, it is recommended to pay attention to the body’s signals - insufficient sleep and poor nutrition can seriously affect performance.

External factors include a learning environment that causes discomfort - noise, heat or cold, poor room lighting, disorder. Another sub-item is modern media coming from a TV, smartphone, computer, tablet. It is recommended to turn off all of the above during training, as even an SMS signal can distract you for at least ten minutes.

What to do if your child is distracted and inattentive

The above reasons show that in order to improve a student’s concentration, it is necessary to monitor the number of hours of sleep, the order and lighting in the room, turn off all modern sources of information during home lessons, take breaks every 20 - 40 minutes, and at least an hour should pass between study groups. Nutrition should include all vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates.

Take into account the biorhythm of an inattentive student, observe at what time he is most attentive, and lessons are completed faster. Use these hours to your advantage and continue to stick to the schedule created and posted near your child's desk. Walk more in the fresh air; physical activity has a beneficial effect on mental work.

The methods above usually help restore alertness within a week; if this does not happen, consult your pediatrician. It is possible that you will need to consult a neurologist, since inattention sometimes acts as a signal of a hidden disorder.

If children soaring in the world of their fantasies cause tenderness, then as the child grows up, this trait begins to be alarming. Already by the age of 5–6 years, a preschooler should be able to concentrate on a task, keep several objects in the zone of attention at once, and not be distracted from the essence of the issue for at least 15–20 minutes. But what should parents of an inattentive child do: how to understand what the problem is and find a way to solve it?

Let's figure it out together, friends!

5 reasons for inattention

Reason 1: ADHD

Distracted attention and high distractibility are characteristic signs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. On our website you can learn more and read how to organize it correctly.

It is important to understand that such children require coordinated work of parents, doctors, teachers and psychologists. But your efforts will be rewarded: with a competent approach, the child’s condition can be corrected.

Reason 2. Poor health

In pediatrics, there is such a thing as children who are often ill, and if your baby is part of this group, be prepared that special attention will have to be paid to the development of attentiveness in preschool age.

To increase the perseverance of a child with poor health and increased fatigue, you will have to carefully monitor the toddler’s daily routine, carefully distribute loads, and create conditions favorable for proper rest and recovery.

Reason 3. Features of the nervous system

Easily excitable, anxious children, subject to various fears, find it more difficult to concentrate on the object of study than balanced and calm children.

In this case, it is difficult for parents without special knowledge to help the child independently. But with the help of a psychologist, a competent preschool teacher and an experienced primary school teacher, you can choose methods for developing attentiveness with a weak nervous system.

Reason 4. High loads

If you take your child to dance early in the morning, then take him to the pool, followed by several more sections and tutors, is it any wonder that by the evening he is unable to listen to you carefully for even 5 minutes?

The child's psyche is a matter that requires careful handling. Powerful flows of information, psychological and physical stress will invariably lead to a decrease in attention - this is the body’s natural protective reaction when working on the verge of stress.

Reason 5. Lack of motivation

The most common reason why children demonstrate restlessness and absent-mindedness is a lack of interest in the object of consideration. A child cannot understand deferred goals in preschool age. If a child is not interested in the here and now, he simply will not physically be able to show the degree of involvement in the activity that demanding parents expect from him.

The younger the child, the more important it is to make educational activities interesting. But still, do not forget to accustom your child to the idea that studying is an important and responsible matter. Teach him to study: thoughtfully, collectedly, attentively.

Take a break from your daily business more often to enjoy the beauty of the world around you. Listen to the wind whispering through the leaves. Observe how graceful the stray cats are in their measured movements.

At home, while walking, on public transport, look at everything that comes into your field of vision, listen to everything that your ears catch. And, of course, discuss what you saw and heard with your child. The habit of noticing details is an effective trainer for developing attention.

Mindfulness is the ability to direct consciousness to the desired object. But what is the use of such an ability if a weak memory does not retain this object within itself.

The more developed your memory is, the easier it is to be attentive. Therefore, friends, train your children's memory: learn poems and songs, learn the alphabet, car brands, names of capitals on the world map...

Are you worried that your baby gets distracted every now and then during class? Think about it: perhaps the surrounding space is interfering with focused work.

It is easier to study when there is no extraneous noise in the room, when no foreign objects catch your eye, when hunger or fatigue do not take over the already weak children’s attention. The work environment is the key to success in the fight against absent-mindedness.

If you try to control every child’s step, and try to fill every minute of the child with useful activities, then it is difficult for the child to figure out on his own what deserves his attention.

“Less parental control, more independence” is a simple but effective formula for preventing children's absent-mindedness, restlessness, and inattention.

Various games help develop various skills (concentration, stability, volume, switching and distribution) in preschool age.

Board games, lotto, children's dominoes, and Memo cards are good for this. You can play word games and paper games. The main thing is that by training attention in the game, the child is sincerely involved in the process, and therefore receives maximum pleasure and benefit from what is happening.

Let's sum it up

If a child is inattentive, look for the reason for his absent-mindedness and restlessness.
Consider the individual characteristics of your baby. Try to avoid comparisons with other children, and if you are worried that your heir is lagging behind his peers in development, consult with specialists.
To develop attentiveness, use all possible methods: offer interesting games, observe the world around you, train your memory and motivate your child to work independently.

Friends, we wish you happy parenting! See you again!