Helping Kids Focus at Home
So you’re homeschooling a kid with ADHD now?
Focus has always been hard to come by for them, but now it feels more imperative than ever that you are able to help your kid focus at home.
The good news is that it IS possible to help them focus better at home (which can eventually transfer to school!). And while it may not ever look typical, that’s OK! They think differently, and their brain processes information differently, and there are so many benefits to that!
The ideas I have for you about helping kids focus from home range from strategies to help you game plan your day, to quick ‘hacks’ like changing their environment.
9 Tips to Help Kids Focus at Home
So, let’s jump in! Here are some quick tips to help kids focus at home:
1. Set a timer and give breaks
Find the maximum amount of time they’re able to focus, and then set a timer them to work that long. Then give them a small break (see tip 3 for ideas)
You can even create a chart or spreadsheet- if your child is motivated by that- to show how they’ve increased their max focus time!
2. Work towards something
Motivate your kid to focus by giving them something they want to work towards. For example, ‘buy’ a crayon to color with, or 5 minutes on the Xbox, or a lego to build with for each math problem complete. (Don’t buy new things, use what you already have. They just have to earn the use of it.)
Remember, rewards are given after, bribes are given before. Knowing the reward beforehand does not make it a bribe. Working for something is what adults do all the time- in the form of a paycheck!
3. Incorporate heavy work and sensory breaks.
Help kids focus at home by integrating heavy work or sensory breaks into your day. If your kid is a sensory-seeker, which can look a lot like ADHD, this kind of ‘work’ is important to help their body feel balanced. Heavy work lets kids use their large muscle groups, and provides lots of needed resistance and input to their body. Taking a sensory break can either mean increasing or decreasing sensory input. (Like putting on some noise cancelling headphones to get a break from all the sounds, or doing bear-crawls or hanging upside down from the couch to get more vestibular input.)
4. Give plenty of non-directed free-time.
And, if possible, encourage screen-free free-time. You can even continue using the routine from school, and tell them they can have recess (indoor, if necessary). But, since you’re home, what about double-recess? Knowing that a solid break is coming can motivate kids to power through just a little bit more.
5. Limit distractions
Is there a separate area they can work in, or can other kids work/play in different areas? Try to utilize a room where there aren’t a ton of distractions anyway. A dining room, with no tv, no food in sight, and no toys, can work well. Or get unconventional and let them do work in your office or even on your bed.
6. Embrace their movement
Encourage pacing and movement while they’re listening or talking something out. If you release them from feeling pinned down to a chair, and you just may see their creativity blossom!
7. Be creative and flexible with your schedule- then stick to it
You’re at home! Utilize the full day! There’s nothing saying they have to do school first thing in the morning, and stick to their school schedule! If they seem calmest at 4pm, then go for that! Or you can break school into an early morning chunk and an afternoon chunk. Using the times that work for your kid will definitely help improve focus.
After you find what works best for you and your kid (and best still may not be perfect) by all means, stick to that routine! Having external predictability is critical for kids who lack that internal predictability.
8. Go with the flow
Try not to interrupt their work, even for corrections. If they’re immersed in the task, then they’re focusing!
9. Teach the concept, not the worksheet
Give yourself (and your kid!) some breathing room. If they can demonstrate they understand the concept well, there’s no need for them to complete all 20 problems on the worksheet. Yes, repetition is good for learning, but in some cases it’s a recipe for burnout.
Bonus- don’t skip the medicine!
If you would give your kid medicine on a typical school day, make sure to continue this now. Use a timer to help remind yourself and to set a good routine. ADHD medicine is not like Tylenol- it shouldn’t be given on an as-needed basis, it needs to be given consistently. I get it, giving kids medicine doesn’t always feel great, but remind yourself that this is helping them slow down enough to learn the coping skills they need to handle this
It IS Possible To Help Your Kid Focus At Home
With a little flexibility, creativity, and knowledge, you can help your kid focus at home. We already know that growing their attention-span will be a marathon, not a sprint. But it can be done- one mile at a time!
How has homeschooling affected your kid with ADHD? Are they struggling even more to get school-work accomplished, or are you seeing them thrive in this unconventional setting? Let me know in the comments below!