Daydreaming
Children
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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.
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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.
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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absent-minded and withdrawn.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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