Author: Dr. Achim Zinggrebe

Who will find the focus? In search of concentration

Nils gazes dreamily into space, turns back and forth on his desk chair, and finally slides to the floor, absentmindedly humming to himself. This is how his parents find him, who, in their foresight, want to take a look at his homework.

Anyone with a child with pronounced fluctuations in concentration knows this situation all too well. It's stressful for both parents and child and regularly leads to moderate escalations in the nursery. "Focus" is the magic word. In this chapter, we want to help you and your child find it.

What lies behind fluctuations in concentration

The transition between temporary and pronounced, persistent fluctuations in concentration is fluid and depends largely on the severity of the symptoms. However, children always have the problem of not being able to concentrate sufficiently on a task. They lack what is known as focus, the ability to see what's important. Imagine looking through a camera and simply not being able to sharpen or focus the image. Wouldn't that distract you or make you nervous? With pronounced fluctuations in concentration, the problem lies in the transmission of information between nerve cells in the brain.

Plan beats chaos

Even at school age, the complexity of everyday life can be frightening and overwhelming for children. Girls and boys who already have trouble concentrating therefore absolutely need a plan. Routine through a fixed daily routine provides security. This starts with getting up in the morning and ends with bedtime at a set time. Sit down with your child and plan your week together. A large whiteboard in the kitchen or hallway can be your command center.

Here, you enter the times and days of the week. Depending on your child's age, the time periods you allocate can be smaller or larger. Then, you specify exactly when meals will be served, when school and leisure activities take place, and when you get up in the morning and go to bed at night. Small blocks of time that your son or daughter can freely use are also very important.

Such a routine saves children the stress of constantly having to reorient themselves and not knowing what to expect next. This is reassuring.

Parents benefit equally, because they don't have to think about how to offer their child a varied daily routine every day while also having to get their own work done. Variety is already programmed into the daily routine. This also makes it easier for parents, knowing when they'll have time for themselves, since their child is meaningfully occupied.

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