My son is only 8 yeras old and is always getting side tracked, is this normal for his age?

Question

I have to remind him of what he was asked to do, I have to tell him over and over to do his homework or to do his chores. My boyfriend and I just get frustrated at him not so much myself but my boyfriend more so. What can we do to keep his attention span long or to focus on things better. Or is this something he will grow out of.?

Answer 1

it could be add adhd. did he do this when he was younger?

most kids with adhd have a one track mind.

Answer 2

sounds VERY normal to me. I put up signs as reminders and that works for a few days and then he just doesn't see the signs anymore.

Answer 3

oh yea it's normal....my son is gonna be 9 in may and he forgets everything. I'll tell him to go brush his teeth or do something and seriously 1second later he's doing something else. when i say something to him about what i just said he says oh i forgot. so yea your not the only one and I'm hoping it is just a phase...as for helping them pay attention I'm stuck on that too wish i knew how cause yea it's frustrating.

Answer 4

Very normal behaviour, my 8 year old girl is/was very much the same.  You need to get down to his level, get his full attention, and ask him to do the task, and that you would like it to be done now!

Answer 5

I think it's an age thing......My daughter is almost 8 and forgets what she's doing from one moment to the next.  I think they just have so much going on in their little heads that it's hard for them to keep up!

Answer 6

it is definately normal! my daughter is 7 and i swear she has early senility at times! i think alot of it is that they have developed a really bad case of selective hearing! i hope that it is a stage!as far as the bf well, i don't think that he should have much to say about it since you are the poarent but that is just my opinion!

Answer 7

hows you boyfriend acting, I'd be thinking why he seems to have got himself fixated over something... is there something he  (boyfriend) ...is not attending to?

8 years old daily tasks should be routine which is like a heartbeat, you have to pull him in to learn life skills like

you still have to make your bed even if you are in dream land this week.

When they are adults they are less likely to crash, if they can focus on daily survival (think student flats) even when they don't want to.

getting him involved in practical tasks will help to ground him again.

Answer 8

Well there are two options, keep working with him as you are and eventually his attention span will most likely become more focused as he matures or you can do the typical American (I can't speak for other countries, just my own because I have yet to have the privilege of traveling that far as of yet) thing and fill your kid up with drugs so instead of being unfocused he is a zombie. I have to admit, I like how you are handling the situation, yes, it is frustrating, I have been there and I can tell you from personally experience, they grow out of it.

Answer 9

Does he have the same problems when he is at school? If not you may just need a specific place for him to do his homework. It is hard to do homework if others are carrying on or watching T.V. You may need a quiet time in the house where others do quiet work or reading, and when you are available to help him. He might just feel like he is missing what is going on while he is doing his schoolwork.

If he has the same problems at school and is having trouble staying on task you will want to have him screened for ADD or ADHD. Even children who are on grade level can have ADD or ADHD. This can be very frustrating for a child and helping them stay focused is really a gift.