I think establishing a clear routine is helpful. If you can construct a timetable for waking, eating, play, television, study, chores and bedtime. Allow yourself some flexibility when he disrupts it. Slowly your structure will reassure him until he develops his own
Exercise is also very beneficial for both the body and the mind.

Anonymous wrote:My son has ADHD. It was actually very helpful to me to get that diagnosis, and therefore know to read up on parenting advice for how to parent a kid with ADHD. I don't know if you kid has that or not, but most of the distractibility and impulsiveness can be lessened through teaching certain tricks and tips to manage it.

Mostly, it made me see multiple reminders are OK. Not are they only OK, they are often necessary. I mean, I put so many reminders into my phone these days, it's crazy. I could manage my own life as a single person, but have always had trouble managing mine, my husband's, and my kids, without some sort of calendar that I record things in faithfully. You might have to be the reminder for awhile until your kid can write things down in calendars or get an app on an ipad or something.

Things that help and cannot hurt:
1. ensuring a regular schedule, wake times, eating times, sleep times, etc.
2. eat healthy, balanced food on a regular schedule. Keep the blood sugar levels consistent. No empty snacks.
3. exercise is key. outdoor time is critical, IMO. Get that kid out for a hike in the woods, a bike ride through a park, a basketball game, etc. Ideally, several times a day for exercise breaks.
4. Fish oil pills can help. Check with doctor first.

For more targeted help, building off the schedule helps my kid. Mine is older, 11. He wants to go play outside after dinner, but if he does, he gets too distracted and will not come back inside in time to do homework. So while another kid might be able to handle flexibility for warm spring evenings, my kid can't. Homework is always after dinner, no matter what. Checking his backpack in the morning to ensure he has everything he needs is a must, no matter what.

He has issues completing his shower and toothbrushing routine at night. He wants to shoot nerf baskets, do somersaults, go hug Daddy a million times, play with a toy, etc. I had to get a large timer clock to sit in the bathroom as a visual reminder that he only has a certain amount of time to get ready for bed.

During conversations, you can prompt him to return to a particular subject. And his teachers should be doing that anyway.

This website for ADHD has a lot of great advice of lifestyle tips and tricks to deal with the symptoms of ADHD. Again, your child may not have it. But many of these approaches could be helpful.

https://www.additudemag.com/manage-your-distractions/

I did this last night and it worked!
I separated the toothbrushing and showering and ran the timer for each task. Thanks

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son just turned seven and is distracted very easily, both by things going on around him and random thoughts that pop into his head that he must share immediately. As a result, he has difficulty staying on task. Probably like most kids, it’s even worse when he’s tired. His teachers have noticed it too, but both they and his pediatrician continue to tell us to hold off on an ADHD evaluation and wait to see if he grows out of it. In the meantime, other than constant reminders, which both he and I find frustrating, are there any things I can do to help him improve his ability to focus?

What is the point of waiting for an evaluation? Why not get an evaluation while simultaneously trying other methods (checklists, timers, etc.) so you at least know if you are dealing with something medical? What is the downside to that approach?

The downside is that it’s pretty expensive, isn’t covered by insurance, and his doctor and teachers have told us to wait because he might not need it. I also like the idea of using the parenting techniques that are recommended for kids with an ADHD diagnosis, even though he doesn’t yet have one. Even if he doesn’t have ADHD, he certainly has the same tendencies so using the techniques can’t hurt.

Thanks for the specific recommendations. The lists are probably a good idea. I hadn’t thought of that before because he seems to get sidetracked in the middle of task 1, rather than between task 1 and task 2, but seeing the list could also remind him that he hasn’t yet completed task 1.

Anonymous wrote:My son just turned seven and is distracted very easily, both by things going on around him and random thoughts that pop into his head that he must share immediately. As a result, he has difficulty staying on task. Probably like most kids, it’s even worse when he’s tired. His teachers have noticed it too, but both they and his pediatrician continue to tell us to hold off on an ADHD evaluation and wait to see if he grows out of it. In the meantime, other than constant reminders, which both he and I find frustrating, are there any things I can do to help him improve his ability to focus?

What is the point of waiting for an evaluation? Why not get an evaluation while simultaneously trying other methods (checklists, timers, etc.) so you at least know if you are dealing with something medical? What is the downside to that approach?

My distractable seven year old dd thrives with lists and timers. For each list item, she decides how long it should take, and sets the timer. Then she has a race against the clock.

How about lists? I know he might FORGET about the lists but at least you could remind him. Having checklists is a lifesaver for me. If he knew everyday he needed to do A, then B, then C and he could check them off himself, it may get him into that routine and less interference from you (which makes you both happier!)

what you describe is pretty normal for 7-year old boys. Why not help him come up with some systems for reminders?

I’m a 1st grade teacher, and I have a couple of noise cancelling headphones in my classroom that I encourage students to use when they “need to focus.” I started a few years ago when my pediatrician suggested them for my DD who is typical, but gets overwhelmed with loud places, like the lunchroom. If your son’s teachers are noticing his difficulties with focusing (that are beyond what they typically see at this age), they would probably welcome using the headphones with him in class.

I have these from Amazon. I’ve tried them out, and you can still hear someone talking to you, but block out the background noise. https://www.amazon.com/HearTek-Earmuffs-Protection-Defenders-Children/dp/B015HJHE8O/ref=sr_1_4?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1523198068&sr=1-4&keywords=heartek+earmuffs

My son has ADHD. It was actually very helpful to me to get that diagnosis, and therefore know to read up on parenting advice for how to parent a kid with ADHD. I don't know if you kid has that or not, but most of the distractibility and impulsiveness can be lessened through teaching certain tricks and tips to manage it.

Mostly, it made me see multiple reminders are OK. Not are they only OK, they are often necessary. I mean, I put so many reminders into my phone these days, it's crazy. I could manage my own life as a single person, but have always had trouble managing mine, my husband's, and my kids, without some sort of calendar that I record things in faithfully. You might have to be the reminder for awhile until your kid can write things down in calendars or get an app on an ipad or something.

Things that help and cannot hurt:
1. ensuring a regular schedule, wake times, eating times, sleep times, etc.
2. eat healthy, balanced food on a regular schedule. Keep the blood sugar levels consistent. No empty snacks.
3. exercise is key. outdoor time is critical, IMO. Get that kid out for a hike in the woods, a bike ride through a park, a basketball game, etc. Ideally, several times a day for exercise breaks.
4. Fish oil pills can help. Check with doctor first.

For more targeted help, building off the schedule helps my kid. Mine is older, 11. He wants to go play outside after dinner, but if he does, he gets too distracted and will not come back inside in time to do homework. So while another kid might be able to handle flexibility for warm spring evenings, my kid can't. Homework is always after dinner, no matter what. Checking his backpack in the morning to ensure he has everything he needs is a must, no matter what.

He has issues completing his shower and toothbrushing routine at night. He wants to shoot nerf baskets, do somersaults, go hug Daddy a million times, play with a toy, etc. I had to get a large timer clock to sit in the bathroom as a visual reminder that he only has a certain amount of time to get ready for bed.

During conversations, you can prompt him to return to a particular subject. And his teachers should be doing that anyway.

This website for ADHD has a lot of great advice of lifestyle tips and tricks to deal with the symptoms of ADHD. Again, your child may not have it. But many of these approaches could be helpful.

https://www.additudemag.com/manage-your-distractions/

You can, but it takes a long time and a concentrated effort on your part, along with a willingness to participate and learn on his part. I achieved this with my youngest who has severe ADHD by teaching him tips to manage it effectively, by having him volunteer at our local food pantry where he had to work with adults, and he was like a sponge, soaking up the information. He's now 12 and if you didn't know that he has unmedicated ADHD, you'd be shocked to find out. I just taught him the life skills I've used to make mine work for me and not against me. My best advice is to use lots of humor. Humor diffuses situations quickly.

My son just turned seven and is distracted very easily, both by things going on around him and random thoughts that pop into his head that he must share immediately. As a result, he has difficulty staying on task. Probably like most kids, it’s even worse when he’s tired. His teachers have noticed it too, but both they and his pediatrician continue to tell us to hold off on an ADHD evaluation and wait to see if he grows out of it. In the meantime, other than constant reminders, which both he and I find frustrating, are there any things I can do to help him improve his ability to focus?