Important: This post is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. You should always consult your physician before making any medical decisions for your child.
It’s frustrating to watch a bright child struggle to pay attention. If you’ve ever said “my child is smart but can’t focus,” you’re not alone. There are physical, mental, and environmental factors that can lead to troubles with concentration. Let’s see if there’s more to the story for your child.
While some would say attention spans are primarily shrinking these days because of screen time, it’s not always that simple. There can be many reasons for focus issues, ranging from troubles with sleep or diet, distractions in school or social environments, or even some developmental conditions.
This blog post will help you better understand what’s “normal” for your child, possible underlying reasons behind your child’s concentration issues, and when you should seek professional support.
Understanding a recent decline in child’s concentration
According to child development experts, you can estimate the attention span of children by multiplying the number of years they’ve been alive by two to three minutes. For example:
- 6-year-old: Expected attention span of 12-18 minutes
- 15-year-old: Expected attention span of 30-45 minutes
If you feel your child regularly falls short of the average attention span for their age group, it might be worth investigating further. However, it isn’t uncommon for children to struggle to focus, regardless of how bright they are. It’s important to note that these numbers are averages and individual children’s attention spans may vary.
If you feel your child’s concentration levels have dipped in recent years, you’re not the only one making this observation. The COVID-19 social restrictions and changes in environment affected many of us, and attention difficulties are one notable effect of that experience. But there could be something else at play too.
By around 4 years old, it’s estimated that 40% of children have noteworthy problems with attention. The risk factors for developing attention problems can be:
- Environmental: External factors that could affect your child’s mood or cognition, including anything from high levels of air pollution to stressful situations.
- Temperamental: Personality issues that may interact with cognition, like high impulsivity or poor emotional regulation.
- Genetic: A history of conditions in the family, like ADHD for example, can increase the likelihood that your child may have the same condition.
As a parent, it’s important to be kind to yourself when exploring why your child might have attention issues. This is a common concern, and exploring underlying causes is the best first step—so you’re in the right place!
Possible reasons your child is smart but can’t focus
While it’s easy to point the finger at social media or technology use, troubles with focusing can also stem from internal issues. Sure, access to smartphones and tablets can affect concentration (you might be able to speak to this from personal experience), but this typically only represents one piece of the puzzle.
If your child has a hard time focusing in school, you may want to discuss your concerns with a professional. However, if you’re curious about the factors that can affect a child’s concentration, here are a few to consider.
1. ADHD
ADD (attention deficit disorder) and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) are terms used often in conversation to label anyone who struggles to focus on tasks. However, while an inability to focus or the frequent urge to fidget may be common symptoms of ADHD, there’s much more that goes into making a diagnosis like this.
Some of the symptoms of ADHD that lead to inattentiveness in the classroom and at home can include:
- Constant fidgeting
- A state of restlessness while completing tasks
- A tendency to disrupt frequently
- Difficulty finishing tasks
Remember, these traits could be caused by any number of issues. Consult a specialist if you’re concerned about possible ADHD traits in your child.
2. Anxiety or stress
Anxiety and stress can affect a child’s ability to focus on a single task. Plus, the triggers can come from various sources, so it can be difficult to pinpoint the problem and help your child focus.
Children have to navigate many environmental factors in modern society that could directly impact their nervous system regulation. Everything from exposure to technology to the lasting effects of COVID-19 restrictions could play a part in your child’s relationship with themselves and the world around them.
In the classroom, anxiety could come as a result of being in a room with other children. Maybe their peers display loud and disruptive behavior that interferes with the nervous system. At home, your child might be overthinking their performance in a particular subject at school. Maybe they’re nervous about making a mistake, which could affect their ability to focus on homework.
3. Executive functioning challenges
Executive functioning refers to how children perform basic cognitive tasks, like organizing their time, paying attention to tasks, and problem-solving.
Even the brightest children can struggle with executive functioning issues. Soft skills such as planning and organization don’t come easy to every child, which can impact their ability to enter into tasks feeling prepared.
Executive functioning difficulties can also extend to your child’s working memory, which refers to how well they can hold and use information in their mind over short periods. Forgetting small details or instructions could interrupt their flow as they tackle new tasks.
Common reasons for executive functioning challenges can range from neurodevelopmental disorders like ADHD or learning disabilities to environmental factors like exposure to stressful situations.
4. Sleep issues
According to the Sleep Foundation, 25-50% of children and 40% of adolescents struggle with poor sleep. Sleep is hugely important for brain development in children, and heading into the day with a deficit can cause issues like:
- Decreased alertness
- Poor cognitive performance
- Reduced capacity for learning and memory
- Difficulty with vocabulary acquisition
- Bad moods
Children between the ages of 6 and 12 should get a minimum of nine hours of sleep per day to operate at their best. Anything less, and your child could experience lapses in concentration throughout the day.
5. Unbalanced diet
It’s no secret that what we eat plays a big role in how we perform throughout the day, and this is even more so the case for your child.
Certain nutrients have the power to positively impact a child’s brain health and mental function, so if your child is operating with a nutrient deficiency, this could conceivably be the reason they struggle to focus.
For example, antioxidants support brain health. So antioxidant-rich foods like blueberries make a great snack choice during the day to boost concentration.
An unbalanced diet, especially one that is high in ultra-processed foods and sugars, may contribute to kids not paying attention in class. Processed foods and sugary snacks can spike blood sugar levels which provides a short burst of energy, but that’s soon followed by a “sugar crash.”
As a direct result of a “sugar crash,” your child can develop irritability, fatigue, and ultimately struggle to concentrate.
6. Physical health conditions
Aside from the issues mentioned above, physical health challenges can also impact a child’s ability to concentrate.
For example, they could suffer from hearing loss or problems with their vision that make it more difficult for them to follow basic instructions. Other issues like thyroid disorders, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), and more recently, Long Covid, can be challenging to diagnose, but could also play a role in your child’s ability to focus.
Maybe your child has a condition you’re already aware of, but it’s impacting their focus in ways you hadn’t picked up on yet. Children can also struggle to articulate the sensations in their bodies. So it’s worth exploring if something they’re feeling is pulling their focus away from daily tasks.
If your child has a hard time focusing in school, how can you help?
It’s natural for children to struggle with paying attention from time to time. But if you feel your child has more trouble than they should, there are some ways you can support your child’s concentration.
Observe patterns in your child’s behavior on a day-to-day basis, especially when they tackle challenging tasks that require their full attention.
Ask yourself:
- When does my child seem most distracted?
Try and identify whether there’s a specific time of day, activity, or situation where your child seems to struggle most to focus. See if you can make adjustments to the environment that help them concentrate.
- What is my child’s sleep schedule like?
Track your child’s sleep schedule to see if they’re getting the recommended amount of sleep for their age group. Assess whether tiredness and irritability could be affecting their daily routines, and explore adjustments to bedtime routines.
- How is my child’s diet?
Take stock of what your child eats, and pay attention to how their energy levels fluctuate at different times of day. If they eat more processed foods than you’d like, it’s okay to start small. Consider swapping a sugary snack out for a brain-healthy alternative like blueberries.
- Are there environmental distractions?
Make sure your child’s study space is free from distractions, especially if they have access to a mobile device or other technology. Even things like visual clutter can be more distracting than you’d think.
- Does my child struggle with certain types of tasks?
Think about which activities your child struggles with most, like homework, reading, or physical tasks. Is it due to a lack of interest? Do they find the task difficult to complete? Get curious about what it is about the task that makes it hard to complete, so you can find solutions that address the root cause.
- Is my child physically active?
There’s a proven positive correlation between physical exercise and concentration in adolescents. Making sure your child gets enough exercise is important for their ability to focus.
Forced lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic confined us to the four walls of our homes. If your child’s physical exercise routines were disrupted in the past few years, this may have something to do with a recent dip in their concentration.
- Could excessive screen time be impacting my child’s ability to focus?
Our “always-online” culture can have a negative impact on anyone’s ability to focus. While the jury may be out on the long-term impacts of technology use, studies show both positive and negative impacts of children spending time with technology.
For example, while access to technology might help them find resources to learn, there could be a negative effect on memory, which affects learning competency.
To counter excessive technology use, try implementing limits based around your child’s routine, so they can do their homework uninterrupted and socialize free from distraction.
Hands-down the best way to gain clarity on the situation with your child’s inability to focus is to consult your pediatrician. When in doubt, seeking out professional help can put your concerns at ease and shed light on the best possible solutions moving forward.
Helping your child reach their fullest potential
If your kid’s not paying attention in class, or they’re dealing with other focus issues, there are tools, resources, and support out there for you.
Consider joining our pediatric membership to get access to your child’s pediatrician whenever you need it. We’re here to provide pediatric home visits, answer your questions anytime via messaging and calls, and give your family the best children’s medical care in NYC.
