What is it with kids? One day, they’re sweet, loving, and teachable, and the next, they’re ornery, grumpy, and won’t do a thing you ask. It’s like living with an entirely different set of people every single day!
Kids naturally do go through personality phases. Think for a minute about moms and PMS—that causes some personality changes, right? Kids go through changes as their bodies grow, long before they get to puberty. Sometimes as their brains go through a growth spurt, they’ll act up. Or if their legs are growing. Any time our bodies experience changes, it has an effect on us, and we can keep that in mind as we’re dealing with our kids.
Other things affect kids too—like changes in the barometric pressure outside. If your kids are extra frisky, take a look at the weather—if the weather is changing, chances are that’s having an influence on your child.
How did they sleep the night before? Children who get too little sleep often can’t concentrate, and children who sleep too long are often sluggish.
You might also take a look at their diet. Sugar, corn syrup, and food coloring can make children hyperactive, and white flour products can influence their ability to concentrate.
Keep in mind that when your child is having an off day, you can revise your homeschool plans. You can school outside, or you can put the books away altogether and do experiments in the kitchen. You can read books together. You can do whatever your child most needs without feeling as though you have to forge on with your plans. You can pick those plans back up the next day.
So the next time your child (or children) seem to be aliens from another planet, take a look at some of these factors and see if you can narrow down what might be setting them off. Then as you eliminate those factors, you’ll be making school—and life—a whole lot easier for your entire family.
Related Blogs:
Lack of Sleep in Early Childhood Can Cause ADHD Symptoms
ADHD: Myths and Parental Guides