The spring sillies. Ants in the pants. Like frogs in a bucket. However you describe it, it can only mean one thing: Spring has arrived! As the weather warms, adults are faced with rooms full of restless little ones who can’t concentrate on classwork or wait for recess. In the face of this seasonal energy surge, how can you get your child (or students) to keep calm and carry on?
Recent research reported in the journal Scientific American concluded that everyone thinks more clearly during the long, cold winter. The study found that adults have a harder time making a decision when it’s hot and that they often take the easier, less complicated option when faced with a choice. The reasons for this aren’t entirely clear, but scientists speculate that mind-body balance in hot weather might require more mental energy, making it harder to concentrate on complex tasks.
Hot temperatures could affect thinking in kids too, but there may also be other, less obvious reasons for a child’s changing behavior. To manage your kid during the spring season, learn to recognize the factors that might contribute to your little one’s fading focus and create some effective strategies to deal with them.