We
adults are sometimes guilty of daydreaming. But
daydreaming is a more common occurrence in children.
Habitual
daydreaming should be discouraged in young children.
Indulging in daydreaming
may eventually shut the child out from reality.
Children who
daydream excessively are usually lost in their own
thoughts that they tend lose their bearings completely.
In addition, they become unmindful of the people
or things around them.
In extreme cases,
a child can cause physical danger to himself and
those people around; for example, when he is crossing
a street. In
relation to academic performance, the excessive
child daydreamer may end up performing very poorly
in the classroom.
It is a characteristic
of habitual daydreamers to ignore those who speak
to him directly and to ignore instructions as well.
In time, they become more absent-minded and withdrawn.
Certainly,
the excessive daydreamer's inability to respond
to others necessarily impacts his social relationships
as well.
Teachers
have an important role in helping daydreamers. In
addition to transferring knowledge to children,
their primary role is to create a classroom environment
that fosters active participation in children.
They
need to adopt active teaching approaches as well.
Parents can also provide significant support to
help their children.
Causes
of Daydreaming
After
being aware of the negative effects of excessive
of daydreaming to our children, the next important
thing to do is for parents and teachers to identify
how the daydreaming habit started in their children.
Through
this, parents and teachers will have a better understanding
regarding the origins of such behaviour and the
pertinent treatment.
Basically,
children daydream because of their need to "get
away" from stressful or unpleasant circumstances
at home or at school. Children find it much easier
to retreat to a more pleasant and more enjoyable
world created by their own fantasies. In daydreaming,
children imagine a world where they can freely do
what they want to do and have what they desire,
even those things that they cannot do or have in
the real world.
Indulging
in daydreaming may eventually shut the child out
from reality. Children who daydream excessively
are usually lost in their own thoughts that they
tend to lose their bearings completely. In addition,
they become unmindful of the people or things around
them.
The
following are some possible explanations why children
resort to daydreaming:
1) Environmental
Distractions: Children are easily distracted by
actions, noise, music, and people. These are distractions
they welcome for these can be very entertaining.
2) Eating
Junk food and having Irregular Meals: Usually, children
prefer junk food to healthy food. Sometimes, they
also do not eat on time. As a result, the stomach
discomforts the children, eventually affecting their
ability to concentrate; and
3) Medication:
Children become inattentive as a result of restlessness
due to some medicines.
Many
experts on child psychology add other possible reasons
for daydreaming:
4) Failure
to entice the children in class activities;
5) Failure
to capture the interest of the children in the classroom,
as a result of constant failure to deliver good
performance; and
6) Prolonged
and boring lessons, which lead to a high level of
fatigue.
Many
experts have also found that there is a higher tendency
amongst children with autism or Attention Deficit
Disorder (ADD) to daydream.
Teachers
have an important role in helping daydreamers. In
addition to transferring knowledge to children,
their primary role is to create a classroom environment
that fosters active participation in children. They
need to adopt active teaching approaches as well.
Parents can also provide significant support to
help their children.
Tips
To Overcome Daydreaming
-
Tips for Teachers
1) If
possible, initiate a one-on-one talk with the child
to find out the source of his daydreaming.
2) Entice
the child to participate actively in classroom activities.
The teacher can gauge the child's level of understanding
by asking him questions connected with the topic
discussed
3) Regularly
come up with group work in order for the child to
be constantly involved in discussion and activities
with his classmates.
4) Use
interactive teaching, with the topics related to
the children's everyday lives.
5) Use
visual aids in your lectures to boost the interest
of the children.
6) Allow
interval breaks during class and engage the children
in forms of simple activities and exercises.
7) Be
well aware of the different kinds of learning disorders
in children that can be risk factors for daydreaming,
to be able to recommend professional help.
-
Tips for Parents
1) Initiate
a heart-to-heart talk with your child to find out
the source of his daydreaming.
2) Supply
the teacher relevant information regarding the child's
daydreaming behaviour to enable her to keep an eye
on the child.
3) Have
an open mind to professional intervention if the
situation worsens.
4) Make certain your
child has plenty of rest at home throughout school
days.
5) Show
positive interest in your child's schoolwork and
be involved in his learning.
6) Keep
an eye on your child's leisure activities. Limit
his indulgence in toys, TV, electronic games, etc.
7) Engage
your child in conversation regularly so that you
will have a better and deeper understanding of his
concerns and needs.
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