3 Steps to Help Children Improve Self Control and Focus

To begin to help children improve self control and focus, start at an early age following some of these suggestions to help children:

Step 1:  Determine what helps the child maintain self control and focus.  Observe very closely at school and at home, when is the child able to stay focused and exhibit self control.  Collect data if necessary to investigate the precursors to when a child is able to maintain self control better than others.

Step 2:  Use the approach from what you learned in step 1 to help the child to stay calm and focus.  For example, maybe it is when the child works in a quiet area or perhaps it is when the child is able to stand up and work or maybe it is when children are able to express their emotions.  Use the strategies right away to establish an environment that makes it easier for the child to maintain self control.  If the teacher, parent, therapist or the child is able to figure out exactly what helps them to stay in control and focused, then the child is able to take the initiative to manage his/her own self control.   When the child does succeed, recognize his/her efforts.

Step 3:  Incorporate the skills into the child’s everyday routine.  Help the child to carry out these strategies throughout the day to assist him/her to stay in control and focused.

Overall, the goal is to use the techniques that the child already has for self regulation and infuse them throughout the day to maintain self control and focus.

Reference:  Galinsky, E. (2010) Mind in the Making. NY, NY. Harper Studio.

Self- Regulation Skills Taught: This curriculum provides an effective, time-efficient structured system to provide classroom breaks, improve self-awareness and self advocacy and teach specific self-regulation skills so that kids have tools to use in their classrooms. This system will get kids moving, give them the benefits of a brain power boost [from getting their heart rate up], give them heavy work and isometrics to help them calm down, and help them learn techniques to quiet and control their bodies in order to return to their academic work.  FIND OUT MORE.

The post 3 Steps to Help Children Improve Self Control and Focus appeared first on Your Therapy Source.

Free Self Calming Deep Breathing Activity

Here is a free self calming deep breathing activity.  Print and cut out the deep breathing cards.  The child can take 4 deep breaths trying to breath in through the nose (smelling the flowers) and out through the mouth (blowing out the candles).  You can print the activity at http://yourtherapysource.com/freecalmbreath.html

[subscribe2]

10 Tips to Help Develop Self Control in Children

Here are 10 tips to help children develop self control:

1.  Do activities that require you and the child to follow step by step directions such as playing a board game or following a recipe.

2.  Let children wait.  If you are busy doing something and a child requests your attention, it is beneficial for the child to learn to wait patiently for you to finish.

3.  Provide verbal or visual cues for how long a child may have to wait.  Explain to the child that when you are done writing this note, you can play the game.  Set a timer and tell the child that when the timer goes off he/she can play with a certain toy.

4.  Partner up together to solve a problem.  If the child is having trouble completing a difficult task, offer to help to assist but do not take over.  Encourage the child to remain in control even though frustrated.  Teach the child self control skills when frustrations are on the rise.  Try using some self calming strategies - http://yourtherapysource.com/calm.html . 

5.  Work on something that takes a long time to finish.  Try completing a large puzzle together over a weeks time, baking bread from scratch (waiting for it to rise), growing a plant or making rock candy.

6.  Model self control.  Adults get frustrated and can lose self control too.  Show the child that even though you are losing your patience or annoyed you remain calm and in control.

7.  Provide suggestions to the child if they are not displaying good self control.  For example, suggest that he/she plays with a different toy while waiting for a toy a friend is playing with.  Exercise can be an excellent outlet to reduce frustration and anger. 

    

8.  Don't set expectations too high.  Remember the age of the child.  For example, a young child may easily lose self control waiting in a long line next to a large selection of candy.  Older children may have less self control following a bad day at school.  Children who are expected to sit for hours without burning off any energy will be at risk for losing self control.  Overwhelming, crowed or loud places may put children at risk for melting down. 

Some children may benefit from a sensory diet to help improve self control.  Check out Cut and Paste Sensory Diet - http://yourtherapysource.com/sensorydiet.html or the Sensational Brain Membership - http://yourtherapysource.com/brainworks.html to get started. 

9.  Provide down time.  Children are expected to go all the time - school, after school activities and sometimes evening activities.  Children who are over-scheduled will most likely melt down easier.  Allow plenty of time for children to explore their own environments at home and with friends.  This creates realistic life situations where self control is required and they will learn though practice.  

10.  Know when to back off.  Children need to develop self control skills for themselves.  Once you observe that a child is gaining control, let him/her proceed without your help. 

     

Self Control and Adult Health

A large longitudinal study in New Zealand assessed the self control of more than 1000 children in the area of self control. Parents, teachers, observers and children reported on frustration levels, attention to tasks, restlessness, waiting to take turns, activity levels and more. The children who scored lowest in the areas of self control scored higher in areas such as breathing problems, gum disease, sexually transmitted disease, inflammation, overweight, and high cholesterol and blood pressure. In addition, when the children with lower self control became adults they: had more financial problems, increased criminal activity, increased rate of single parents and increased dependency on tobacco, alcohol or drugs. The good news is that children who improved their self control as they got older fared better in adulthood indicating that self control can be taught.

Reference: Physorg.com. Childhood self-control predicts adult health and wealth
Retrieved on 1/30/2011 from http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-01-childhood-self-control-adult-health-wealth.html