Changing school work when they get puberty brain fog?

[JumpyTheFrog]

My 10 year old is having major brain fog lately. His face contorts into strange faces for much of his school work now. He's practically broadcasting a message that says, "The brain you are trying to reach is not available. Please leave a message at the beep."

 

If this happened to your kids, did you change their school work in any way to accommodate?

[Verity]

10 seems a little young for puberty, but then I know everyone matures differently.

With my middle son (just turned 14) I noticed last year that he needed more room to breath, encouragement and cajoling to get his work done. Also I had to just let him sleep in later and not worry about getting everything done by lunch.

[Critterfixer]

Mine were not as bad as you describe (but there's a long way to go yet!). However, I didn't change schoolwork. We just kept right on with what we were doing. I found that having a reliable routine was helpful in navigating fog. The other thing I found out about my boys was that while I read a blank face as "don't have a clue what you just said", the blank sometimes means "processing, get back to me in a day or so". Conversely, if they nod their heads with understanding, it's better if I hang around, because the attentive look has to do with the fact that they are attentively daydreaming about going outside to play or attentively composing a story that has nothing to do with how to multiply fractions. 

So it was better that I just keep moving forward through the fog, and they have seemed to come along with me, so far.

 

ETA: I have found that I needed to change my expectations more than I needed to change their school work. Be more patient, never take anything personally and give space to think, or to figure things out independently when needed.

Edited May 12, 2016 by Critterfixer

[Garga]

Ten is very young. And you never know when the brain fog ends. What if it doesn't end until he's 16? You can't change things for 6 years.

 

I myself would not change anything too drastically. I'd play it by ear and tweak along the way.

[...................]

I think it has more to do for boys with getting, out, getting exercise (real, intense exercise) and having freedom and independence in appropriate measures, which sends an overall message thtat it's time to "Man Up"..the exercise helps with everything....mood, sleeping, weight, concentration, aggression...I could go on and on.

 

Now, all of that said, it is very doubtful that your ten year old boy is really hitting any significant puberty.  

 

But it's still a good warning sign to make sure he is getting adequate exercise (Ie hours per day, intense...on a team, preferably.)

 

and independence (by independence I mean little by little biking here and there alone or with a friend, navigating the grocery store while you wait outside in the car, going to the corner store, taking care of finding his own library books, just in general being encouraged to do things on his own, and do them well.  If he is tiny for his age, for safety reasons, you can postpone a little, if he is large for his age, you can do it on the ealier side, also of course teaching and training and talking about awareness and safety etc. etc.) 

[Peaceful Isle]

Fish oil helps my ten year old. Seriously. I made him try it once, and now he asks for it! He says it clears up his brain. :)

[MEmama]

13 has been this way for us. I allow extra sleep when it's needed, and we lighten the work load when his brain simply isn't available. Making sure he gets enough exercise plays a huge role, but he definitely has days/weeks when his brain just needs extra time to process and do whatever mysterious teenage things it needs to do.

 

He more than makes up for "lost time" when he comes back though. Then he will be super motivated and get tons of work done. I'm definitely grateful we have the flexibility to ride the waves; I can't imagine how public school kids manage.

 

10 may not be puberty though. It could just be a brain growth time, or he might be on the verge of a growth spurt. Is he eating a ton and needing extra sleep?

[Arcadia]

More exercise to sleep better

More sleep

More food

More academic work to tire the brain

 

My DS11 had his "12 year old molars" out at 10 as well as a growth spurt. He is taller than me. Having free time makes him feel lost, having a pack day makes him happy and work faster.

 

My DS10 just started his growth spurt and the "12 year old molars". He is the kid that has always been easily distracted and need tomato staking anyway. On good weather days we are outdoors, on bad weather days I make him do more leisure reading else I get a cranky restless kid.

[2_girls_mommy]

We do fish oil too, when I don't have fog and remember it, lol. 

 

My 13 has a case of the morning brain fog.  Exercise and getting out of the house to wake up helps a LOT.  I love days that we have morning appts then come home to do school.  But no, we keep the same schedule.  It just takes us a lot to get her up and going in the morning.

[happypamama]

I don't change up schoolwork, but I encourage more exercise, and more protein.  Eggs, cheese, nuts, yogurt, black beans. . .  Lots of healthy snacks.  I send him out to run around the house a few times if he is having trouble focusing, and I send him to his room to work if he needs to fidget and hum and tap and whatever else.  It's not a punishment; it's a reality.  I have one kid who needs music, so she either works in a different room or wears headphones, so if my 11yo is making noises to help himself concentrate, but it's distracting someone else, then he needs to work in a different room also. 

 

And lists to follow.  Even if they should know what subjects they need to do, having a list helps a lot.

 

Also, my 11yo is not an auditory learner, and he seems to be less so these days, so I try to make sure he has something in front of him to see.  For math, instead of directly teaching a lesson to him like I do with my daughter, I put the example in front of him and have him study it before I say anything.  He needs the visual input before his brain is ready to figure out how to do the problems.