How do I use low attention to benefit in parenting?
- Usually kids do bad behavior in relation with something they need to play with, eat, watching television etc - depending on the situation, pick an alternative option for your kid or build an element of play to the activity you need the kid to be doing.
- Take them away from the scene - give them a new place to get adjusted or something else to play with
- If the new option given, is good enough - the kid will forget the earlier scene, situation and start involved in the new situation
- This helps in avoiding a tantrum situation, that could make you lose the patience and having your kid go through hard times
Is this good to shift the attention point, that could have been used to teach a good behavior to the kid?
- "Yes" - it is good to divert their attention to something new, you can always teach good behavior, while the kid starts engaging into new situation
- Kids have low attention, so they would potentially forget the earlier tantrum / difficult scene - but they have not forgotten about it - so you can remind them about earlier situation & explain - it was not good, request them not to repeat
Would I see the kid repeating same bad behavior, by using this attention diversion?
- Yes, on the short term - you might see a repetition... but if you do make it a point to explain - what your kid did was wrong, after you move to new scene & have them realize / accept the mistake - the amount of repetition should go down
- Look at attention diversion as a way to avoid accident, then having yourself sit down & reflect up on, what would have happened - if accident did happen
Good luck in trying this... and happy parenting.
-Bhaskara
