My 6 Yr Old Having Trouble Staying on Tasks at School

I have a 6 yr old boy, and at that age it is hard for them to "sit still" I wouldnt worry about anything. I think it is way to early to say a 6 year old has ADD. They wanted to test my oldest which is 10,she doesnt have any problems she's just lazy and doesnt want to do the work. Dont worry give her time to learn how to sit and learn.
Michelle

I had the same exact problem when I was that age! My Mom would get my report card and they would say all kinds of nice things.But then just like your son, I had trouble staying on task! It may not be ADHD! BEcause come to find out I have a learning disability and also bibolar disorder, wich is widely mistaken in kid's for ADD or ADHD! And yes children can have bipolar disorder or the start of it when they're children. But also when you have a learning diability you have a hard time learning so there for I think kid's end up loosing interest to fast!

Just to let you know that it is not too early to tell if it is ADD or ADHD. Ask the school about having a Conners report done on your daughter. I have a 6 year old boy who has the same problem and we did a Conners report on him. The school will give you any and all of the information that you need.

I'm almost certain she is perfectly normal for her age. She might need some extra help from you to learn to stay focused on a singular task in a given moment though. I would suggest doing some activities with her that are very fun, but require alot of focus. Have a quiet day, with no TV, radio, or phone interuptions, and maybe do some sort of craft together. My 4-year-old loves to bake with me. Maybe you can get a kids' cookbook, and have her choose a recipe, read the instructions, and do most of the work herself. With the tastiness of the recipe on the line, she'll likely stay very focused on what she's doing in the kitchen. This ability will hopefully transfer to the classroom with time.

Is she a day dreamer? Does she get engrossed in books or TV so you have to say her name repeatedly to get her attention sometimes? Start one task, then jump to another task without finishing the first one? Have trouble finishing things like cleaning her room because she gets distracted?

My understanding is kids with ADHD won't be as successful in school. I think people (esp. schools) are too quick to put such labels on children. My guess is that is she is able to focus enough to do well that she has extra energy. Talk to her pediatrian and the school about getting some extra exercise or giving her time to walk around or do something physical in between tasks...even the whole class getting up and doing 20 jumping jacks could help. I would also talk to her...maybe she is bored and needs something more challenging to do.

I also have a 6yo with the same trouble. The problem is he is a very bright boy reading at a 3rd grade level and also has great math skills. He is so slow in class because of daydreaming and distractions that he does not complete his work on time. He is very slow at home too. The teacher really can't give him more challenging work since he is not completing the 1st grade standards. It's so frustrating. He's not disruptive to the class, he's just daydreaming and SLOW. The work he completes in usually 100%. I'm hoping he will mature and this will improve. I know he hates the coloring, cutting and drawing pictures. He would much rather have a page of math problems to complete. The teacher has cut down on the coloring and this has helped a little. I wish I knew the answer. We are going to crack down on him at home and set time limits for completion of his activities of daily living. Myabe that will help. Is this his personality? Maybe? LEt me know if you found anything that helped your child.

I have a 13yr old who has AD/HD and is very successful in school. He is now in honor classes and has always been on the honor role. However if you are concerned I would talk with your childs' doctor and see what they recommend. Sometimes they will have you and/or the teacher keep a log of what is happening and when it is happening. There are many steps to be taken before jumping to the meds for ADD or AD/HD. Good Luck!

Hi L.,
I agree with Nicole sometimes I think people label children to quickly. I also agree that if she is doing well in school maybe she gets bored and the lessons are to easy for her. Maybe talk to her and see what she says. She is six and what six year old stays on task all the time. I student taught a 1st grade class about six years ago and I don't think there was one child that stayed on task all the time. Good luck
Chris

If you are concerned you can take her to see a Psychiatrist and have some testing done. You also can have the School do testing and they will have a IEP meeting to determine if your daughter Qualifies for services to help her. If she in Kindergarten or 1st grade? Kids at this age sometimes need more prompting. I also would talk with the teacher and see if this is causing problems in the school setting. If you need further information feel free to contact me. I have a 13 yr old with ADHD and he does have a IEP and recieves services and get special accomodations for testing etc.

Hi L.,
My oldest daughter had the same problem. I learned two things, one on my own and one unfortunately not until she ran into a wonderful Fourth! grade teacher.
The first thing I learned was to ask which tasks she had the most trouble focusing on or completing and I realized that they were the ones that she didnt understand so her mind would wander. Like taking an accelerated spanish class when you only know hola and adios, eventually you would tune out too.
The second thing was what her teacher noticed and would do during class. She was the kind of teacher that walked through her students as she spoke to help keep them attentive and especially for Brittany, she would touch her shoulder as she walked by. That helped keep Britt's mind and focus on the teacher.. bring her back so to speak.

Good luck and sending good wishes :o)