By Dr. Dhanalakshmi N. 

Ph.D. (N), PG Psychological counseling, M.Sc. Psychology

Introduction:

We all have moments when we forget stuff. Some kids, however, seem to forget things all the time. They could struggle to memorise lists, obey orders, and follow directions. Both the child and the adults around them may find this to be quite frustrating. It could feel as though reminders are continuously being given by educators, parents, and other caretakers. We all occasionally forget stuff. However, some kids appear to forget things constantly. They could struggle to memorise lists, follow directions, and follow instructions. This can be quite frustrating for both the child and the people in their close surroundings. Teachers, parents, and other caretakers might feel like they need to remind people of things frequently.

Reasons for forgetfulness

• Children who are stressed, sleep deprived, or hungry may forget things easily.
• It’s possible that a child’s memory is still developing and she’s still learning how to remember things.
• Typically, children’s memories are less vivid than adults’. As a result, children’s memory abilities usually get better over time. Improvement might also be aided by guidance.
• Although it’s frequent, forgetfulness can have a negative impact on a child’s academic performance and learning abilities. As a result, it’s crucial to support your child in improving her memory.

Tips to help your forgetful child

• Train your child: Teach your child to be self – reliant by showing him how to properly store his belongings, such as putting shoes on a rack or putting bags on the study table, which will make the child more likely to remember. The child will learn new lessons and retain things around them more easily if their focus is improved.
• Stimulate your  child’s memory: Simple inquiries help in improving a child’s memory. You could, for example, ask your child, What do you usually do at this hour?
•  Make a daily schedule: Guide your child to schedule a routine for her everyday activities. The daily schedule can include the activity type and time.
• Praise your Child: Appreciate or give them rewards when they are not being  forgetful. Positive reinforcement will encourage children not to become forgetful. 
• Well-Balanced food: Vitamin B-rich foods aid in enhancing a child’s memory. As a result, make sure the child eats healthy fruits and veggies. The child’s memory can be enhanced by eating foods high in omega 3s, such as salmon, tuna, shellfish, cabbage, pumpkin seeds, and walnuts.

Other Memory-strengthening Exercises

• Buying toys that can train the child’s memory. For example, puzzle games are great for improving a child’s memory. Give children the opportunity to arrange the puzzle into the right shape. 
• Reading books is one of the best ways to improve children’s memory. You can make your child read her favorite story books. After reading, ask them about the contents of the story they have read. 
• Studies have proved that clapping hands together improves memory. 
• Playing games and doing sports such as guessing pictures, random images, etc., improve memory. 

Conclusion

Children can forget things in two ways: normally and abnormally. Tiredness, poor diet, stress, taking certain drugs, and health conditions can all cause a child to become forgetful. Teachers and parents can try to improve their child’s memory by teaching her independence, asking questions to stimulate their memory, setting up a daily schedule, rewarding the child when she is not forgetful, giving her foods containing vitamin B, making her focus on her tasks, encouraging discipline, and buying toys that can train memory and reading. Every parent must be aware of their child’s characteristics and monitor their growth. Parents can handle a child’s regular forgetfulness on their own, but if the child has abnormal forgetfulness, the parents should be on lookout.

References:

1. https://fkip.unri.ac.id/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/2019_OBSESI-Jurnal_Strategy-for-Overcoming-Forgetful-Children.pdf
2. https://www.additudemag.com/working-memory-exercises-for-children-with-adhd/
3. https://www.understood.org/en/articles/why-some-kids-are-so-forgetful