06-07-2009, 06:16 PM
Some kids are like that by personality. They're pretty ordinary actually, but may have hidden talents that will come out later (if you don't see them already.) If this was a problem with him before, his teachers might have mentioned it. How are his grades?He needs to learn how to pay attention. It's an important skill and it can be LEARNED. It is not something people are innately born knowing how to do, and also is not something we can be expected to do just because it's convenient. It will take a lot of patience to teach it. The way you handle it now will dictate how he handles it as a grown-up. He can become smarter or he can be more confused all the time. You're being a good parent with your concern.Children used to be overmedicated for this, and doctors are getting wiser about it, realizing sometimes the kids and parents just need to adjust for different personality types. Pediatricians will also avoid referring a child based upon a description of what only sounds like personality differences. Most will, the good ones.Just work with your son a while longer, coming up with new ways for him to learn to pay attention. Be sure you're showing by example most times too. Make sure you're not demanding he do things when he's already doing something else you told him to do. Eventually he'll need to learn multitasking beyond a few things, but for now, keep it short and simple, then build up. Throughout the day, like maybe you're in the car with him, point out something on the road for him to notice and get him talking about it for a moment longer than he normally might. Little things like that also teach him to pay attention in a natural way, showing him it's fun and he might miss out otherwise. Try making sure his diet is a good one with lots of veggies, fruits, and lean meat (like baked skinless chicken) and make sure he gets enough exercise. It should be a family effort on those two fronts.We expect everyone to move so fast these days, doing thirty things at once, it's not a surprise there are more reports of ADD, seizures, depression and the like than ever before. Working with the kid and remembering he's a kid will make things go smoother with him, though if he's like I was when a child, or my daughter, then it will be somewhat lifelong. It's temperament....
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