| -- End Ad Box ---> | | | | develop some skills with reading that will carry over to |
| Your child is already paying attention. The question is | | | | other areas. |
| what are they paying attention to? Children who have | | | | 4. Let your child play and exercise in nature. A recent |
| been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity | | | | study (Faber-Taylor et al., 2001) has shown that playing |
| Disorder often fail to pay attention to what they are | | | | in green settings helps children to focus and pay |
| supposed to be paying attention to -- the teacher in | | | | attention. The findings suggest that letting your child |
| the classroom, your instructions to stop running in the | | | | have a little bit of play time outside in nature before |
| house or the fact that they have a quiz next week in | | | | sitting down to do her homework might help her to |
| social studies class. They are often paying attention to | | | | concentrate, complete tasks and follow directions. |
| things that are more interesting to them such as what | | | | 5. Become an advocate for your child in school |
| the other kids are doing in the class, what the dog is | | | | settings. Sometimes your child needs little adjustments |
| doing while you’re nagging at them or how | | | | to help him focus in school. As a parent, if you can |
| many home runs his favorite baseball player has hit. | | | | advocate for small changes, you can make a |
| Using this principle -- that your child is intensely | | | | profound difference in your child’s behavior at |
| interested in and paying attention to some things -- you | | | | school. For example, one parent found that by asking |
| can help your child focus in situations where she | | | | the teacher to let her child get out of her seat |
| currently is falling short. The main strategy is to channel | | | | occasionally without being punished, the child was able |
| your child’s energy and interest to promote the | | | | to pay attention more in class just by making this one |
| development of persistence in other tasks. | | | | change. |
| 1. Sometimes kids lack persistence because they | | | | 6. Develop an appreciation for what your child does |
| doubt their own abilities. By not trying they can | | | | pay attention to. For example, often a child is not |
| preserve their dignity by saying I failed because I | | | | paying attention to the course work in school, but he is |
| didn’t even try. You can channel your | | | | paying attention to what all the other kids are doing. |
| child’s enthusiasm for a sports hero or a | | | | Tell your child that his interest in other students shows |
| favorite movie or cartoon character by telling him to | | | | a lot of caring and concern for others and intelligence |
| pretend like he is his favorite hero. If your child is | | | | about how other people get along and interact. Ask |
| mesmerized by Lance Armstrong, invite your child to | | | | him to share his insights with you and comment on his |
| walk and talk like Lance would. By pretending to have | | | | abilities to understand what other people are thinking |
| a lot of confidence, your child will get the feeling for | | | | and doing. Praise your child at any opportunity for what |
| what it is like to have confidence and have the | | | | they are paying attention to and find a way to reframe |
| foundation for acting from that place. | | | | it as a strength rather than a deficit. |
| 2. Sometimes kids lack persistence because they feel | | | | 7. Find out what your child is paying attention to and |
| if they have a disorder why should they even try since | | | | encourage her interest in that arena. For example, if |
| there is already something wrong with them. Using a | | | | your child is interested in sports, rather than being |
| person whom your child is fascinated with -- his or her | | | | discouraged that his interest will not lead to academic |
| hero -- you can ask your child to tell you what would | | | | success, find a way to show him that you honor his |
| have happened if that person said Why Try? If | | | | interest and find ways to channel that interest. When |
| your child is obsessed with Harry Potter ask her what | | | | parents try to discourage interests in their children, the |
| would have happened if he had just given up and | | | | child will feel that the parent does not understand him |
| didn’t try to overcome the many obstacles he | | | | and feel alone. As an example, you could use an |
| faced. | | | | interest in sports to an exploration of the human body |
| 3. Use your child’s areas of intense interest to | | | | and how to encourage optimal functioning. This could |
| develop basic skills that will help him in learning things | | | | lead to increased interest in science classes. |
| that are not so interesting. For example, if you child is | | | | In summary, the main principles of change are to |
| obsessed with cars you can help him find books or | | | | maintain a positive perspective of your child and to |
| manuals about cars. In this way he will begin to | | | | stay connected to your child. |