How To Motivate A Slow Moving Child: 8 Tips

Does your child take longer than expected to finish homework assignments or transition from one activity to another? Do teachers notice that it takes more time for your child to complete school work and other activities in the classroom than their classmates?

This can be confusing for parents. Your child is bright and has the knowledge they need to finish tasks. So, what's going on? There are answers.

In this article, we'll talk about why your child may seem to move more slowly than others. Then, we'll discuss ways to help motivate a slow-moving child to complete tasks in a timely manner - and how Joon can help.

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Why Is My Child Moving So Slow?

People don't always think or move at the same pace. Before parents realize this is the culprit, they may find that it affects their family life alongside strain in other areas, like school. One of the most common reasons a child with ADHD might move slowly is that they have a slow processing speed. What does that mean?

Quite literally, a slow processing speed means that an individual takes in and understands information longer than others. It has nothing to do with having no motivation or intelligence. Instead, a person most often experiences slow processing when tasks are hard or demanding. Kids may move slowly if they feel overwhelmed or receive too much information at once.

This feature is generally associated with inattentive symptoms and is often seen in children with primarily inattentive ADHD.

How To Help Slower-Moving Kids Complete Tasks

Parents can help slower-moving kids build habits that lead to long-term success and beat potential consequences, such as low self-esteem and frustration with oneself. The key is to understand what’s going on and help kids create the skill set needed to work with their brains rather than against them. Parents often see their child's motivation and confidence increase with the following strategies.

Try Joon To Help Your Child Move Faster

Joon is designed uniquely for kids with ADHD and related disorders. Using Joon means that your child's daily obligations are all in one place - and they get rewards for finishing tasks, something that can be incredibly helpful for kids with ADHD. Here's how it works:

Parents sign up first with the Joon Parent App and make a to-do list for their children. Kids download a separate app called Joon pet game. When children finish tasks, they get rewards in Joon Pet Game that let them move forward in the game and take care of a virtual pet. Adults can add any tasks they want, including household chores, homework, or virtually anything else.

90% of kids who use Joon finish all the tasks their parents assign, and users often say the app has improved their parent-child relationship.

Click here to claim your free trial.

Plan ahead

Start planning ahead and giving children extra time to prepare for activities. When your child has something to do, whether that's finishing a homework assignment or getting ready to go to a doctor's appointment, add extra buffer time so they can transition from task to task.

Explain plans in advance and make it a habit to get started early. When parents do this, it teaches a child to plan ahead on their own in the future. Giving oneself or one's child enough time to accommodate their speed can be critical for reducing anxiety and helping kids get things done on time.

Making things doable for your child can lower your own stress as a parent. After all, if your child's ready a half hour before you have to leave, you don't have to panic and won't feel the need to rush them - and, if it takes longer, you’ll be right on time! 

Keep calm

Getting stressed out or angry when your child's moving slowly could actually make them take longer. In challenging moments, stay composed and remain calm when you speak. Remember that what feels easy to you could be a difficult task for your child. Parents and teachers often have high expectations for kids without realizing it.

Connect with your child

A strong parent-child relationship is always beneficial for kids. While your daily interactions might seem small, they can make a world of difference in the big picture. When it comes time to support, guide, or encourage kids through an activity, parents tend to find more success when they bond with their child regularly and have a strong, empathetic, and understanding relationship.

Whether you have younger or older kids, find something you like to do together and set aside time for it. Praise your child for small successes, whether getting dressed on time or writing a large paper for school.

Use a schedule

Having a schedule is key, and it's an idea any child can benefit from. Create a morning routine for your child so that necessary tasks, like brushing their teeth, become habitual. Aim to practice each step daily, in order, and at the same time.

During the school year, a supportive night routine where students learn to get their school supplies ready for the next day before bed can be incredibly helpful, especially for kids who have a harder time or move slowly in the morning.

Adults should include free time in a child's daily schedule so they have time to rest. For example, before or after dinner. Free time promotes creativity and self-direction while letting kids unwind.

Make a checklist

A checklist can aid organization and give children feelings of accomplishment when they mark items off. You can create a checklist for your child's daily routine once you build it. Stay involved in the process; engage with your child with daily check-ins about their task and remind them gently if they forget.

Apps like Joon can help kids and their parents keep the checklist in one place and make things more fun. Consider using apps as a resource for your child if you think it could help.

Give shorter directions

When your child has a large or multi-step task to complete, break it down into smaller steps. First, make sure you have your child's attention. Before you give a child directions, stand in a spot where you can see each other eye-to-eye (rather than giving instructions from another room or while a child's distracted). Then, tell them to do each thing one at a time.

For example, instead of telling your child, "Clean your room," you'd ask them to do the following, only relaying one task at a time:

• "Put the clothes on the floor in the hamper."
• "Thank you! Now, put your toys in this basket."
• "That was amazing! One last thing - please take the cup by your bed to the kitchen sink."

Apply this to all relevant tasks. For younger kids, this could mean that you walk them through getting dressed one step at a time ("Take off your pajama top. Put this shirt on. Good job! Take your pajama pants off. Put your underwear on. Put your socks on. Put your jeans on. Put your shoes on. Thank you!")

Don't reward lateness 

Take care not to reward lateness unintentionally. You don't need to use harsh punishments or be the "bad guy." Allow natural consequences and decide in advance what you'll do when things don't go as planned. For example, if your child's late to get ready for school, you don't want to unintentionally reward the behavior by getting them a special breakfast at a drive-through. Instead, have a quick emergency breakfast ready at all times so they can eat it on the way to school.