How To Keep Your Child Focused On Schoolwork In The Run-Up To The Holiday Season

It’s hard to ignore the holidays when they’re right around the corner – and when the upcoming break is something your student likely is all too aware of. Something you might have trouble with this time of year is working out how to keep your child focused on schoolwork in the run-up to the holiday season. With so much going on, it can be a real challenge. So, how can you redirect students’ focus before they enter holiday break?

It’s not an easy task, but it is doable. Read on for all you need to know about what causes lack of concentration in a child before the holidays, and what you can do to help them finish the year strong.

Excitement Around The Corner
The fact that your child is having concentration issues and losing focus in the run-up to the holidays doesn’t necessarily mean there is something deeper going on with their learning. As long as your child has a solid routine and a healthy diet with no other known health or cognitive issues, their lack of concentration and focus right before a break isn’t out of the ordinary. And luckily, there are things you can do to encourage them to remain focused.

Improving Concentration And Focus
Many parents wonder, “How can I improve my child’s concentration and focus?” or “How can I get my child to focus on schoolwork?”. If you find yourself thinking these things, just know you’re not alone. Remember that there are real actions you can take to help your child finish their semester strong, whether they’re studying online, at home, or school.

Try the following tips:

• Keep up with their routine – At this point in the school year, everyone is tired, including parents. But you, just as your child, have to finish strong. One way to do that is not to veer off of routines. Keep a sense of structure in place when it comes to mealtimes, homework, bath time, and bedtime. Get them up at around the same time each day, too.
• Make reading festive – It’s important for a child to practice reading, so get into the holiday spirit and gather up some books related to the holidays that you can share together. There are a lot of classics to read together this time of the year, after all!
• Create learning opportunities – Use the season to teach your child more about some of the things related to the holidays. You can talk about different traditions around the globe and how other cultures celebrate the season.
• Get outside – Enter a winter wonderland – literally! – by making sure to take your child outside during the colder weather. If there’s snow where you live, build a snowman or go sledding. If not, a brisk walk around the neighborhood or to the playground can help them to burn off some of that holiday excitement.
• Keep them busy – If your child is having a hard time focusing while learning something or completing an assignment, consider giving them something to manipulate while they work, such as Play-Doh. Research supports the idea that doing something with your hands helps you to focus. That’s why fidget toys are such a hit!
• Move around the room – If your child is learning from home, maybe they simply need a change of perspective. Change the position of the desk they’re at to freshen up their view.
• Stay flexible – You need to be able to pivot a little during the holiday season, a bit like a parent who is pulling double duty as a teacher’s helper. Think of yourself like one of Santa’s elves, but instead of delivering presents, you’re delivering knowledge! If you notice your child’s energy starting to wane, you may need to get them to stop what they’re doing and do something else. This can help to inject some energy into your child’s day and keep them engaged.
• Have fun – Even when kids are working hard, they need to have fun. Ask your child a few fun things they’d like to do after schoolwork, then plan to make some of the more reasonable things a reality – after the school day is done, of course!
• Don’t forget the music – Music can be a very powerful tool and change the mood of what you’re doing. It can also inject energy into any situation. So don’t be afraid to play some music for your child as they’re doing schoolwork. As long as it’s not too much of a distraction, it can help them to get things done.
• Ask for help – If you notice your child is really struggling with something in particular, even if it’s right before the holidays, don’t hesitate to reach out to their teacher for help.

This is one of the most wonderful times of the year (as the songs like to remind us), but it can also be one of the most challenging for many people. Make sure to keep your child’s spirits up and help them to finish the school year strong by using some of the above tips. Once the semester ends, you and your family can go on to have a well-deserved break – all you need to do is get to the finish line together, and then it’s time for fun!

Featured image by Annie Spratt on Unsplash