9 ways to help your child focus

So how do you get a child to get down to business? To stop getting trapped in distractions and to pay attention to the task at hand? We asked the experts. Here are some of their tried-and-tested tips.

1. The role of food: “Nutrition is an important factor in a child’s overall well-being and health. A balanced diet is an important component for their development. A diet consisting of unhealthy fats and high in sugar has a negative impact on children’s ability to focus and concentrate. Healthier food options are recommended to boost the child’s skillset to concentrate and focus,” explains Nardeen Turjman, Clinical Psychologist at UAE-based German Neuroscience Centre. Foods rich in antioxidants and flavonoids such as orange juice, nuts and even dark chocolate can stimulate neural connections and make a difference to a child’s mental health.

2. Water is essential: “Sufficient amount of water is also recommended to avoid dehydration. Dehydration can affect the brain cells and lower your child’s ability to perform cognitively,” says Turjman.

3. Time-out: Relaxation in terms of sleeping, meditating, muscle relaxation breathing exercises, practicing mindfulness and stretching are just a few examples of activities that increase not only concentration and focus in children but also help in managing moods and impulses, she adds. Relaxation is when the body and mind are free from tension and worry. In a relaxed state, the neural connections are strengthened, which is known to support concentration, memory and mood.

"A sleep calculator app is good in helping you know the best times to sleep based on the time to wake up in the morning. Resting the brain is so crucial for concentration and research suggests that lack of sleep results in upto 60 per cent less focus throughout the day," adds Ross Addison, Managing Director and Consultant Child and Adolescent Cognitive Behavioural Therapist at UAE-based Reverse Psychology.

4. Hand over responsibility: Charged with the completion of a task, a child will usually rise to the occasion and focus to get it done. “When a child completes tasks, it increases their confidence and their concentration. Homework, house chores, physical exercise, hobbies are all examples of responsibilities a child can be given,” she says.

5. One thing at a time: “Break down instructions into smaller chunks or steps or by writing tips/reminders on a board that’s immediately visible,” recommends Dr Waleed Ahmed, Consultant Psychiatrist at Priory Wellbeing Centre Abu Dhabi. He adds that teaching the child prioritising skills after breaking a bigger task into smaller parts and then allocating appropriate time scales to those smaller parts will also help.

6. Do it again: Like many skills developed, concentration requires practice, explains Turjman. “Be consistent and clear with the task given to the child. Setting an appropriate and realistic time limit will allow a child to stay focused and limit distractions. Keep in mind your child’s abilities as you don’t want to set unrealistic time limits which will pressure your child, leading to heightened stress and lose interest,” she says.

7. Play time is precious: “Providing your child with opportunities to participate in fun interactive activities can boost their concentration and focus. There are electronic games that can boost a child’s ability to concentrate, however, studies have shown electronics reduce a child’s ability to focus in the long term. Allow your child to play physical games that require creativity, problem solving and critical thinking skills, all shown to develop concentration,” she suggests.

8. Clear the space: Dr Ahmed says, “Manipulation of the child’s environment is one of the easiest things anyone can do to help improve concentration. Seating a child away from distractions like a window, a colourful display and keeping environmental noise to a minimum may help. A child could sit closer to the teacher in front of the classroom, for the teacher to better reinforce or repeat instructions when required,” he explains.

9. Exercise: “Incorporating at least 30 minutes of exercise three to four times a week is important,” says Dr Ahmed. Neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki, who the author of ‘Healthy Brain, Happy Life: A Personal Program to Activate Your Brain and Do Everything Better’ has been quoted by US-based news website KQED saying that exercise strengthens both the prefrontal cortex (which is involved in executive functioning) and the hippocampus (which plays a key role in memory and learning). In this way, exercise supports our ability to think creatively, make decisions, focus and retrieve key information. In her research explains the website, Suzuki found a single workout can improve a student’s ability to focus on a task for up to two hours.

Addison adds: "Exercise not only improves blood circulation but also helps the brain to reduce stress, process the many pieces of information we absorb each day and to offload them. Sunlight is critical for mood regulation and so keeping vitamin D topped up in our body allows our dopamine levels to remain balanced. Poorer concentration and focused have been well researched in people with low mood."

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