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| Photo: scientificamerican.com |
Fidgeting is not merely "inappropriate" (Translated: "annoying to others.") behavior, its a form of communication.
In fact ALL behaviors, whether we think appropriate or not, are communicating something personal about that person and the way they are wired. There are as many reasons why children (and adults) fidget as there are individuals, but there are some common threads that top off the list. Here are 7 reasons your children & students are fidgeting, and what you can do about it:
1-Dehydration:
Water is a vital nutrient as well as a neuro-conductor. If kids are not permitted to drink water all day, they will show obvious signs of dehydration. Inattention is one of the signs. Allow children to sip water throughout their day will help keep them focused. Water bottles on the desk will not interfere with your lesson plan. (I know some do not allow students to get water because then they will have to use the bathroom, and well, that is disruptive. However, having to STOP teaching your lesson a dozen times, to bribe, beg, plead and yell at the class to pay attention is much more disruptive and counter-productive as well. In fact its ridiculous. Let them sip water and do a lavatory run at the beginning/end of class. Problem solved.) Read more about hydration here.
2-Poor/Lax Nutrition:
Nutrition goes hand in hand with hydration-its necessary to ensure your child has a proper breakfast, not a sugar-frosted "Fruit Tart" or a big old bowl of "Sweetie Flakes". An actual breakfast, that they sit down to eat, with some protein, (keeps sugar/energy levels steady) and some good carbs (actual fruit or veggies.) This helps kids maintain concentration throughout the morning until lunch. A child cannot go from dinner last night until lunch the next day (about 19 hours) without the proper nourishment. My daughter sometimes eats chicken salad or cherry tomatoes in ranch dressing for breakfast-she will grab whatever is prepared. I've encouraged her to make something the night before so its ready. Its fine-as long as she eats something nutritionally viable and has some water before going out the door. Think outside of the Cereal Box. Your child's teachers will thank you. Read about the Top 10 Foods Nutrition Experts will not Feed Their Kids.
3-Lack of Sleep:
Children who are sleep deprived will be inattentive, cranky, non-compliant, and at risk for impaired learning, illness, depression and other mood disorders. Threats, bribes and sending him to the principals office will not help. You need to make them unplug from the electronics and get to sleep at a reasonable hour. (remember that the time you put them to bed and the time they fall asleep are two different things.) According to the National Sleep Foundation, newborns should sleep 12 to 18 hours out of every 24 (in a perfect world), with a gradual reduction to 12 to 14 hours for toddlers ages 1 to 3. Preschoolers age 3 to 5 need 11 to 13 hours; schoolchildren ages 5 to 8 need approximately 10 to 11 hours. 9 and 10 year-olds need about eight hours a night. Teens actually need more sleep than adults- eight and a half to nine and a half hours, according to the sleep foundation, but the challenge is timing: times at which they get sleepy and are able to awaken naturally (and feel rested) fall in such a way that does not align with the start times of most schools. (Read More Here)
4- Sensory Overload:
We all have sensory preferences-some sights, sounds, texture, etc. are pleasing to us, and others not. The ones that are not pleasing, (or downright irritating) are simply "filtered" out. Some of us have a more difficult time "filtering" than others, and for children with sensory processing issues, this can be a nearly impossible task. Parents and educators can help limit "sensory static" by keeping clutter under control, not using strong perfumes, fabric softeners or cleaning agents, and by keeping voices and noise levels to a minimum. A little bit of "Quiet Time" (that means unplugged) in nature or indoors, does wonders for everyone's senses. I call this a S.A.F.E Space (Sensory, Adapted, Friendly Environment). To learn more about creating S.A.F.E Spaces in your home or school, look for our upcoming spring workshops and webinar descriptions.
5- Age/Emotional Intelligence:
Sometimes referred to as "maturity". Simply put, kids will be kids. In a recent study, it was found that kids whose birthdays fall around school enrollment cutoff dates can find themselves as either the youngest or oldest among their peers, depending upon which side of the date they fall on. This coincidence of the calendar can make a significant difference in a child’s ability to sit still, according to the new research. In some cases, immaturity is mistaken as ADHD. Read more here
6- Lack of Activity:
Children, (and people in general) were not made to sit still for long periods of time. Movement is how our bodies and brains develop, and children's brains develop at an incredible rate for their first years of life. This is only possible through movement. It may sound counter-intuitive, but if you want kids to be better at sitting still, get them up and moving. Frequently. NASPE (the National Association for Sports and Physical Education) recommends that children under the age of 12 are not sitting for periods longer than 30 minutes at a time. Find out more about NASPE's position on physical education & movement .
7-He's Bored
Maybe you are boring, maybe the material is uninspiring and maybe his/her senses are over/under-stimulated, but in any case, you've been tuned out. Don't ever take that personally. I know you've worked hard on those lessons, and you only have a certain allotment of time to teach it in, but bored kids are communicating something. Ask yourself, what is underneath the boredom? A need to be inspired? A desire to explore? If you are bored as well maybe they are just mirroring your attitude? Sometimes, a child wants to think on their own, rather than reading, doing worksheets and material just being imposed upon them. They want to know how this is important to them and something they can use for their own enjoyment. The more personal identification & investment they have in their own learning, the more engaged they become. There are so many creative ways to infuse a spark of fun into any (bland) classroom lesson, using games, storytelling, pantomime, demonstrations, art, group projects and student-led discussion, and sometimes we have to be willing to step away from the lesson plan and let the kids guide us as to the best way to present the material. Its a win-win situation: they learn and retain more, and its way better than yelling at them to pay attention. A great resource that I highly recommend is Edutopia: What Works in Education.
By the way, fidgeting & Doodling are ways that children attempt to regulate their own senses & re-engage in what they are learning. Before you reprimand, ask yourself first why they are fidgeting.
When & how do your kids fidget?
Related Articles:
Constructive Fidgeting for Self-Regulation
Contact: barbara@bodylogique.com
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