Do you find your kid sitting in the table fiddling with his pencil and staring at the ceiling? There are so many instances when you are tempted to startle and scare the wits of him. In a middle of a conversation you will look at him and ask him whether he got it. He will be sitting with a glazed book or hymning his favorite tune.
Repeated behavior tends to make us anxious and wonder whether daydreaming will affect your child's overall progress. Will he be able to concentrate on his studies? How can he care of himself if he keeps forgetting? Is it a issue that needs to be treated?
Several studies recently show that daydreaming is pretty much a normal phenomenon among children. Children let go from the present situation and sit back to review it with innumerable possibilities. It is a stress reliving mechanism.
Teachers tend to complain to the parents about the daydreaming instances. The child does not play attention is the common complaint. Sometimes the hammering of heavy dose of information tends to burden the grasping potential of the child. The child's vision gets blurred and he gets transported to a fleeting pleasant memory. He will forget his physical sense and not be involved in the social setting. It will take a knock from a chalk piece to bring him back to reality. In such a case it is better to have an open dialogue with the class teacher.
As a concerned parent, you should look for cues whether your kid is prone to daydreaming. Habitual daydreaming can also be dealt with a counsellor. Meanwhile you can do the following tips to bring the child back to focus:
Limit screen time : The content and number of hours spent influences the child's deal with the fantasy world. Periodic reviewing of the programs can help the parent provide believable explanation to the queries posed by the child.
Change in the routine : Does your child not mingle with his friends often? Is he more to himself? Does he take a long time to read his lesson or finish a page? Does he play with his food?
Ask those questions of his mind workings during meal time. Get the feelings out of him.
Sleep : Make sure he gets his share of sleep. Deprived sleep makes you tired, inattentive and forgetful. 8-10 hours of sleep is a must.
Engage in physical activity : Yoga and meditation help your body remain agile and refreshed. Identify some sport and let him do ritual training in it. Exercise should be balanced with nutritious meals.
Writing pad : Always have a writing pad with color pens in your bag wherever you go. Your kid can copy sketch, write poetry or write anything to him engaged. Words, imagery are expression tools that are self contained.
Since it is a natural phenomenon, care should be taken that the child should not be reprimanded to come out of it. Identify the situations where the child is not comfortable. Provide the right amount of love and care. Tackling this problem in the early stages can help in the long run.
Disclaimer : These are my views and findings on the topic. One is free to experiment and voice their opinion on dealing with this issue.
Till then Happy Parenting!
