Expert: Sharon Crandall - 6/14/2006

Question
Sharon,
I currently have a 9 year old daughter who is being retained in the 3rd grade.  She has displayed a lack of concentration since she was a toddler.  Her attention span is very short and I have to constantly redirect her.  She doesn't have the hyper-activity, but definitely has a problem remaining on task.  What are the traits that contribute to this and is medication possibly one of the answers.

Answer
Dear Shante,

It is important for you to understand that this idea that all children should be able to sit and concentrate is just not true.  

First of all, the frontal lobes of a child's brain does not fully develop until around age 25.  This is wehn he can think abhead of teh consequences of his actions and can reason things out better.  

This makes it difficult for most children to concentrate for long periods of time, and then you add other traits that incline a child to wander in his mind and also for some to be physically restless and also for some to actually learn better when they are moving around because their brain works better with physical movement than sitting.  

Trying to make robots of children where all sit quietly in a classroom is not a good idea and it doesn't work unless most of the children would be medicated.  Medication also is setting up the child for future addiction.  this is why you have some adults actually stealing these medications from their children because they are addicted.  

Some people are born with the trait of Low concentration.  We call this trait Impatience because he gets impatient in trying to sit and listen, or cencentrate on one thing for very long.  All our challenges are our gifts and the gift of this trait is that as an adult she will be able to change focus quickly in an occupation that requires low concentration.  

Such as being a radio or TV announcer requires you change focus quickly, or being a manager where you are overseeing a large room full of people and noticing things quickly from one person to another to see how they are doing.

It is the ability to keep a lot of things going at one time.  

Now, she probably also has wide-spaced eyes.  This means that she can see all around her easily and is easily distracted.  Later, on this is a gift of being able to see the big picture, see all sides to the question, see the big plan and the overview of whatever she is working on or when working with people.  

She could also very well have the trait of High Ideas and Imagination and is a dreamer.  This means that she is a creator and not menanst to live a regimented life.  Perhaps you could answer this with more description of her behavior and how she reacts.  

Now, with that said, she is old enough to train her brain to be a bit better.  Punishment is the worst thing you can do to get her to concentrate on one thing.  Make up some games with her with rewards of whatever is really a reward to her.  

Get some of those books like they have in first or second grade where they draw lines to match various items on the page.  Or, better still, perhaps would be a simple puzzle.  See how long she can do the puzzle without looking up or around the room.  Time it in seconds, if necessary.  Then tell her than if she can look at the puzzle and work it for an additional amount of time without turning her head or looking at something else she will get X award.  Then if she can repeat it X amount of times she will get more points, etc.  and when she gets so many points then she gets to do such and such or receive some reward.  

Teach her what the word focus means so that when you are telling her to do something asn you know she is not hearing you, touch her and say, "focus".  Children need visuals,use a play telescope (empty paper town tube and look through the tube.  Then ask her what she can see.  Tell her that that is what focusing is, to narrow her vision down to one thing.  She can learn to bring her mind into focus if you make it fun and not that she is defective or needs punished.  In fact tell her that you are really glad she has a hard time concentrating because that tells you she has a talent in some area.

Can you tell me what she likes to do?  Does she ever play at one thing for any length of time?  

She also might have the trait of High Ideas where she quickly changes from one idea to another.  this, again would make her very creative and sometimes has too many ideas until she is old enough to sort them out and work on them one at a time.  

Without my seeing her I can't tell for sure, but knowing a little more of her behavior would be helpful.  

Otherwise, this will, I hope, tive you some encouragement.  Observe her.  Ask her questions about her dreasms and plans.  Discover who she really is and then you will know better how to work with her.  If you were one of my regular clients I would work with you in figuring out games to play to increase her brain abilities and also find her talents and concentrate of developing those so she will have a healthy view of herself and not feel like she is defective in any way.

God Bless!  P.S. I am having trouble with my monitor and can't read what I have written very well so please excuse any errors.

Sharon Crandall
Personality Consultant
Committed to the freedom to be authentic