Mom28kds Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 My 2nd grader has a hard time staying focused. I am also HSing a K, 1st and 6th. I've been trying (when I see he's struggling) to send him outside to shoot basketball or something physical for a couple minutes to give his brain a quick breather. It takes him FOREVER to do his work because his mind is everywhere. Can I get some ideas from other Mom's who deal with this so I can see what might work for this child. I can't send him to his own room because he required me to be right there but I also need to work closely with my K & 1st. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotSoObvious Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Lots of protein, no sugar, lots of physical exercise. Other than that, you just have to be. right. there. the. entire. time. We just started 5th grade and my child can finnnnnnalllllly finish an assignment without me reminding her to work. My dd responds very well to checklists of short parts of assignments that she can complete and check off. It's really the only thing that has seemed to help. I don't know how I'd get her to do anything with three other kids around, honestly. Good luck!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 You asked how I handle a child who can't stay focused. -meds (Concerta) -consistent schedule -lots of snacks -preparing ahead of time - water bottle at the table, sweatshirt on the chair, sharpened pencils at the ready. Limit reasons to get up from the table. -exercise breaks -timer. Now, my ds has had problems with the pressure of a timer in the past, but now he is better. I bought the Time Timer clock and he can see at a glance how much time he has. I put it on the table and he knows if he doesn't finish his work it is saved for later. -incentive system - I have started putting play money (coins) in a little bank to reward him for being diligent, having a good attitude, and cooperating. I plan to offer a "school store" every week or every other week. My ds 4 is a hot mess of hyperactivity and inattention, and with him I am using the money (I bought Playmobil stuff for him to "buy") to reward playing on his own and following directions. My lessons with him are short, and I stop when he can't attend any longer, but when he is older I will obviously expect more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondeviolin Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 I JUST posted something similar to this on the k-8 board. Abby has days where she's on the ball, and days where she's busy staring out the window to actually get anything done. I got a few book and google suggestions. You might go and check there. Abby is just one of those that is all butterflies and rainbows dancing with ribbons in her head and it's hard to bring her back to earth to complete everything. She's mostly not complaining during her work...it just takes years unless I'm there prompting her all.the.time... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2scouts Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 I don't know, but I if I don't get some good ideas from this thread I may be doing something to a certain 4th grade boy that I will later regret. He's supposed to start school between 8:30 and 9 am. It's now 2:30 pm and he has finished one page of math and a science experiment. THAT. IS. ALL! He didn't even take a lunch break yet. We're getting ready to eat now and I'm getting a terrible headache. Apparently he thinks staring around the room makes the work do itself.:glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kroe1 Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 1. A colorful, eye-catching curriculum. 2. Brief 15 minutes per subject 3. Speed drills 4. Lots of different subjects 5. Interjecting textbook subjects with computer and physical subjects 6. Staying at the table with child the entire school day 7. Very few if any breaks between subjects 8. Challenging, but not frustrating, level for each subject irrespective of grade level. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Are you trying to have them all doing work at the same time? Do you have too much work scheduled for the 2nd grader? (IOW, lots of subjects with different books and activities?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WVNA Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 You sound like you could be describing my son since we've been battling this for several years. I know many parents don't like this idea, but Adderall has been a godsend. Nothing else we tried worked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JessReplanted Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 you just have to be. right. there. the. entire. time. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 My DS1 has perfectionistic tendencies, and can make something drag on forever by stalling, etc. I've learned to put time limits on certain things. I give him a reasonable amount of time to complete his math. What isn't completed in that time has to be done during our family afternoon quiet time (2 hours). He usually reads during that time, so he's motivated to have as much time as possible to read what he'd like. Today he has to finish writing a paragraph for a co-op class. I worked with him on the beginning of the paragraph, we went over a few things, and I expected him to write 2-3 more sentences. He had an hour during quiet time, and did absolutely nothing. Nothing jotted down and scratched out, no brainstorming, nada. He insists he was trying but couldn't come up with anything. I told him he had 3 mins to do the next sentence and he miraculously could produce a rather nice one. That totally runs counter to my parenting style, but I've learned he gets perfection paralysis. He seems to actually do much better if I put a limit on how long he can ruminate over crafting the perfect sentence, iykwim. It is tough for me to put those limits in place, but they seem to help him :confused: So far it doesn't seem to result in a rushed end product, but rather putting away his worries over getting something exactly right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom28kds Posted August 24, 2012 Author Share Posted August 24, 2012 We are doing CLE - Math CLE - Language Explode the code Handwriting Reading with me At this point that is pretty much all so I don't feel he is overwhelmed.Sitting with his math and language he will just stare into space (mostly), fidget, make noise (which distracts others) etc. We are all in one room. I'm moving the 6th grader to his room to help both of them this weekend. He can do the work if he will stay focused. It gets very frustrating and I don't want to get on him all the time. Thank you for all the replies so far. I will be able to come back and look at this thread in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 Simple, non-distracting page. Regular routine. Protein. Exercise. Quiet workspace with minimal distractions (sister has to play elsewhere during math). Everything ready completely if possible. Breaks between each subject. Stay within sight at all times. Adderall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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