| Does your child have difficulty concentrating? Are | | | | An example of a routine is a bed time. Some |
| you getting complaints from school? Is not turning | | | | people don't set bed times for their children |
| in homework becoming a problem? Is your child | | | | because they think it's too mean or maybe too |
| not listening to your directions at home? Can you | | | | restrictive, or perhaps just a big 'ole pain in the |
| relate to any or all of these issues? | | | | rear to enforce every night (especially if you are |
| Do you wish your child could concentrate better? | | | | a night person, and/or you like to sleep in). |
| Well, good news for everyone; important | | | | However, life is about routines. We wake up, go |
| concentration skills can be taught to children. | | | | to work, come home, eat, sleep, and repeat the |
| For anybody, and particularly for children, routines | | | | process all over again the next day. |
| are immensely important for success. I'm not | | | | Successful people have the self-discipline that |
| saying they are fun or easy, but they are | | | | keeps them focused throughout their day and |
| essential if concentration is the goal. | | | | they are able to do it with routines. Routines are |
| Now, everyone knows about how vital routines | | | | not about being restrictive or rigid, but a tool to |
| are for an infant: feedings, nap-time, diaper | | | | help an individual concentrate on what they have |
| changes...I'm sure you had it down, right? | | | | to do. In addition, routines are essential for time |
| But it seems many parents start to neglect | | | | management, and we all know there aren't |
| routines for their children over time. Sometimes | | | | enough hours in a day. |
| it's a matter of having too few routines in place, | | | | Here's an exercise you can try at home: |
| or perhaps not enforcing the ones that you do | | | | Exercise: Routine Setting |
| have. Everyone is guilty of some or all of this. | | | | Your assignment is to come up with routines for |
| In a classroom, a successful teacher will establish | | | | your child and to enforce them. Here are some |
| routines, not only to maintain order, but to | | | | examples: |
| facilitate the learning process. The less "surprises" | | | | • bed time |
| a child has, the more they know what to expect. | | | | • time to wake up in the morning (you can |
| They know their boundaries. They gain | | | | buy them an alarm clock to promote their |
| independence. Furthermore, they are less | | | | ownership over this routine) |
| distracted by transitions and more focused on | | | | • time to eat breakfast |
| what the teacher has to teach them. Thus, the | | | | • time reserved to do homework after school |
| children are better able to concentrate. | | | | • time to play |
| You probably have a laundry list of things you'd | | | | • time to read |
| like your child to be able to concentrate on. To | | | | Most likely your child will resist complying with the |
| master concentration, they'll need to be able to | | | | routines, especially if they aren't used to them. |
| have a strong will to do. They need the | | | | That's okay. Kids are going to test you and test |
| independence, desire, and ability to concentrate. | | | | rules, so you should actually expect that. Your job |
| In order to help your child train their will to do, | | | | is to calmly never back down. Develop |
| you need to set routines for them that you | | | | consequences for them and stick to it. For |
| consistently enforce. Start these routines as soon | | | | example, if they refuse to go to bed on time, the |
| as possible if you haven't already done so. Don't | | | | next day they have to go to bed five minutes |
| just give up and throw your hands in the air; | | | | earlier. Continue to do this until they learn to |
| reflect on the routines and figure out what | | | | follow the bed time. |
| worked and what didn't work. It's not a set in | | | | If you can master routines in your daily schedule, |
| stone process, but rather maintaining routines | | | | you're going to see that concentration will be |
| should be a work-in-progress, constantly | | | | easier to achieve than you previously thought. |
| fine-tuning them to meet your child's needs. | | | | |