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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.
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 In time, they become more absent-minded and withdrawn.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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