In the hustle and bustle of after-school programs and sports and the myriad other activities in which this generation’s students are encouraged to participate, it can be easy to lose sight of the ultimate goal of education: to help our children and young adults grow and mature into well-rounded members of our society. To that end, it pays to not discount the value of quiet time and reflective thought.
Children these days are busy. In fact, they are busier than they have ever been, and it can be hard for kids to steal themselves away from their work or obligations to give proper time to their thoughts. This problem can be compounded in kids with ADD or ADHD, with attention spans that make them race around at a mile-a-minute. As someone who has grown up with ADD can attest, all that running around is likely to result in speeding over some important moments in life and can cause one to glance over some important lessons and teachable moments that would otherwise stick with someone else.
Take 20 or 30 minutes a day and turn off all the distractions of modern life. Take a moment to sit down with your child and talk with them about their day. Ask them questions about what they did, and what they think they can learn from it. Kids with ADD can grow up and miss those lessons, and can end up learning them the hard way. Grabbing their attention with a little one-on-one can make sure that they hold on to what they otherwise would have missed.
