10 Helpful Tips for Concentration Problems in Children

Due to all the technology available today, concentration problems in children are becoming more and more common.

Children are naturally very energetic and exuberant. Because of this, we can't expect them to focus entirely on a single task without distraction.

However, it is possible to help children focus on a task and increase their ability to concentrate for a longer period of time.

Children often have trouble concentrating because they're wired differently than adults. But what happens when they're given a task they don't like?

Exactly! They get bored and let their attention wander to something much more interesting. This is different from adults, who usually just finish their task—whether they like it or not.

Concentration problems in children often arise in response to certain tasks, such as homework, and associated behavior.

This behavior shows that children are preoccupied with things other than what's expected of them. After reading this blog, you'll know 10 simple techniques you can use to improve your child's focus and concentration!

Children love to play. So it's always a good idea to try and make their chores more fun. But... keep tablets, computers, and gadgets out! Studies have shown that tablets, for example, reduce children's attention span and memory capacity. Let children play with regular toys and do activities that improve attention and concentration.

• Brain games – You can train and strengthen a child's concentration by doing exercises that require thinking, planning, and memory. Examples include crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, and card games like "Memory" and "Uno." These games improve attention to words, numbers, and pictures. There are also puzzles that require children to search for hard-to-find objects or things that are "off" in the picture. These games also improve attention and enhance concentration.

• Sequencing – This involves performing steps in a predetermined order. There's a strong link between sequencing and concentration. Examples include baking a cake following a recipe, setting the table, and putting letters in alphabetical order. These are all great activities for improving children's concentration.

• Sitting Still – This "game" challenges your child to sit in a chair without moving. Then you see how long they can hold it.

  Practicing this regularly stimulates the brain and strengthens the mind-body connection. This contributes to better concentration and focus.

Eating a varied diet can help prevent deficiencies in essential nutrients. Eggs, vegetables, fruit, nuts, fish, seafood, and unprocessed meat are excellent foods for your child.

In addition, a child needs sufficient building blocks to properly develop the brain.

One of the most important building blocks for a child's brain is omega-3 . This is a type of fat found primarily in oily fish (salmon, eel, herring, mackerel).

If your child doesn't like this or eats it less than twice a week, I recommend taking an omega-3 supplement to support their brain.

Here you'll find an omega-3 supplement with raspberry flavor. Perfect for kids!

I would also like to emphasize that omega-3 fats are not a medicine for concentration problems, but they do help to support the functioning and development of the brain.

Finally, I would like to advise you to avoid processed foods as much as possible: soft drinks, sweets, pastries, chips and other junk.

Some children respond well to a calming and soothing environment. Other children, on the other hand, have no trouble completing a task in a busy environment.

It's therefore important to understand the environment where your child feels most at home. Understanding the environment children prefer to be in also plays a major role in helping them with concentration problems. How do you do this?

• Create atmosphere – Soft instrumental music and colorful lighting can help enhance the ambiance. Placing an aquarium in the room also helps. Children are naturally quite hyper. Watching fish swimming around calmly can really make a difference!

• Eliminate gadgets – To avoid distractions, TVs, iPads, cell phones, etc., should ideally be turned off or kept in a different room. If they must use a computer to study, make sure it's used solely for studying and nothing else.

• Give them only what they need – Keep everything they need within reach so your child doesn't have to get up to get something. Only homework books, crayons, textbooks, pencils, or water should be on the table. This helps them keep track of how much work remains, which also helps children learn time management.

Once you have made changes to your diet, you can also try a nutritional supplement.

In addition to omega-3 fats, you could also try a supplement that specifically targets concentration.

We recommend Alfa Focus, which contains l-theanine and skullcap, among other ingredients. It also includes a complete B-complex in its active form and some zinc.

Again, I want to emphasize that you should view this supplement as a tool and not a medicine.

It's important to continue working on your child's diet and sleep. This supplement helps naturally support your child's ability to concentrate .

Routines help children get used to planning. Let me give you an example of Jolanda and her 6-year-old son Max. "Max comes home from school at 3:30 pm and gets a treat.

At 4:00 PM, I take him outside to play with the neighborhood kids. We then return home at 5:00 PM, have dinner together as a family at 6:00 PM, and take a little time to let the food settle.

Then Max does his exercises for school from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM, after which he goes to bed at 8:30 PM.”

While we don't all need to have as strict a schedule as Jolanda, it's important to create a consistent routine for your child. This helps them manage their time better and trains their brains to recognize when it's time to do homework, for example.

In addition, it also has a positive effect on concentration, because children learn, for example, that they should study after playing.

This way, they automatically enter "study mode" as soon as they're done eating. A very valuable tip for children who have trouble concentrating.

Short breaks, such as 20-minute power naps, have been proven to refresh the mind and increase concentration.

Children concentrate best after a good night's sleep. A power nap after school or in the afternoon can also have a positive effect on children's concentration problems.

In addition, it is important that feelings of hunger are also addressed before children start studying.

This can disrupt concentration. So always make sure children are well-rested and have eaten well before they start their task.

Performing "smaller" tasks improves attention span and concentration. Studying an entire chapter at once, for example, is quite difficult for a child.

So it helps to break it down into pages or even paragraphs. This gives children a sense of accomplishment for completing this smaller task, motivating them to keep going.

Breaking down large tasks into smaller ones isn't just for studying. It can also be incredibly helpful for household chores, for example.

Jolanda does the same with Max. "I'd been nagging Max for a while to clean out his closet, but he was really dreading it. Then I started splitting things up and told him he only had to clean the bottom shelf that day…

And sure enough, when I came home from work that evening, he had already done it!”

All children are different and therefore learn things differently. Some children process information most easily when they see it, while others learn better through hearing.

There are also children who are primarily very practical and learn things most easily by "touching" and doing things themselves. So, it's important to understand which category your child falls into.

This can help them understand information better, which will also help them concentrate better.

• Visual – Children who understand visual information better need to be given a visual image. They can concentrate better if they are allowed to read and write information.

• Flashcards – When children are learning spelling, for example, it helps to write it down on small flashcards. This way, they learn concepts faster.

• Drawing – Asking your child to draw what they're studying can also help them visualize things better. A bonus is that this also helps develop fine motor skills.

• Auditory – Children who learn better when they hear information are auditory by nature. They can concentrate better when allowed to absorb information through hearing.

• Reading aloud – Children who are naturally auditory learn better by reading aloud or by listening to someone else read aloud. For these children, audiobooks, for example, can be more helpful than regular books.

• Music – Listening to music can also help children improve concentration while studying.

This is also a useful tip for children with concentration problems. Set a time limit for completing a task, for example, by telling them to finish a certain number of pages within 15 minutes.

Be careful! Make sure they're not under extreme time pressure. Be realistic, try to put yourself in your child's shoes and think: what could they possibly have accomplished within a certain time?

Also keep in mind that an adult can concentrate on a task for a maximum of about 40 minutes on average.

Children's maximum attention span is therefore much shorter. Therefore, it's wise to use shorter time limits, such as 15 to 20 minutes.

Rewards don't necessarily have to be candy or presents... You can also reward them with a short break, a big hug, or even the opportunity to continue studying, like with Jolanda and Max.

Max already enjoys math, but he hates reading and writing. As a reward for his reading and writing exercises, I give him super fun math problems in the form of stories that he has to try to solve.

This also helps children to concentrate better on a task, even if they don't enjoy it as much.

Use your distraction time wisely! Children are naturally very energetic and exuberant.

When they have to focus on a task for an extended period, it's important that they can also let off some steam. This can help them focus better on the next task.

For example, it helps if children do something completely different during these breaks. Just look at Jolanda and Max:

When Max does math problems, we do a maximum of 10 in a row. Then I let him actively run around the living room for a minute. This helps him concentrate better on the next 10 problems.

Studies show that combining physical and mental activities is very effective in improving children's concentration.