Attention Spam 2 Year Old

[Vale]

My two year old son nursery teacher told me that often my son wonders with his mind during structure activities such as painting, drawring.

He looks like that he is absent, thinking about something else.

I made a research on the internet and I read that normal two year old do not sustain attention more than 2 or 3 minutes in a task.

The nursery teacher (with many years of experience) seems to think, it is a odd behaviour, and his class mate do not do the same.

Could please someone help me to understand I need professional help?

P.S. My english is not perfect, I am Italian and live in Italy, sorry!

[TheProvincialLady]

Oh I get it now, your title is supposed to say attention span not spam

How do you feel your son is at home? Have you had any concerns about him before the nursery teacher spoke to you?

[Jaynerae]

MY DS is 9yo and has always been like this - right from when he was very tiny. His mind often wonders off! He is very intelligent - very academic, has reading age of 12yo, vocabulary and thought process has always been beyond his years, so we just think that sometimes he gets bored with structured activity and his mind takes him of some where more interesting. Last parents evening - teacher said he still does it, but teacher said that is just how he is and he will never change so leave him to it.

Unless it causes any real problems I wouldn't worry about it.

[SoupKitchen]

some days DS manages to sit a task for 10 minutes others it is barely 15 seconds.
If I were you I would not be overly concerned, unless it is really bothering you, then see a health profssional to put your mind at rest.

[Vale]

Thank you so much for your answers.

I have never paid attention how many minutes he concentrates in a task. I think it depends on whether he likes it or not, certainly more than 5 minutes.

At the nursery they have a set routin and concentrate the structure activity between 9:30 to 10:30. So a whole hour of structured activities.

What the teacher finds odd it is that he daydreams.

He doesn't do it at home, but he plays a lot on his own, he likes pretending "playing grown-up", cooking, driving the car, but I haven't realise he daydreams.

[AitchTwoCiao]

your son's nursery teacher sounds like the unusual one to me... he sounds totally fine. quite advanced, actually, a lot of boys don't do imaginary games until later (according to what my pals tell me, i have a dd).

[AitchTwoCiao]

is it a montessori, by the way?

[Vale]

Yes, she is definetely not Montessori.

I am a bit puzzled by the teacher comments, actually. I would expect someone with her level of experience to know what should be an age appropriate behaviour for a 2 year old. That's why I took the teacher comment so seriously.

In the meantime I have also called the Doctor. And she told me the teacher is expecting too much from a two year old. I will have a more indepth conversation with the doctor next week.

I have found a lot of information on the internet regarding span of attention and hyperactivity (which I don't think it is problem), but nothing on daydreaming!

So, it is reassuring that many of you think it is a normal behaviour for a two year old.

But if there is someone out there that thinks it is odd or found some info on the web. I would like to know in order to help him.

Thank you for your support, there is nothing like that in Italy.

[AitchTwoCiao]

you are most welcome. are you new to MN? there's a thread for italian parents, you know? i must go but i'll find it for you later.

i've just spent a week in Rome... bliss. although my body now craves spaghetti alle vongole. ciao ciao!

[TheProvincialLady]

He sounds completely normal. Welcome to Mumsnet

[Vale]

After researching and listening to your opinions, I came to the conclusion that probably my son gets boared and probably is forced to stay sit on the chair.

He doesn't daydream at home, because he is free to change activity as he likes. (Also daydreaming depending on the context, age etc.. can be a good thing!).

P.S. I speak English because I have studied it and I also lived in London for 5 years and here in Italy I still work and live with English people. I am sure that anyone with this amount of exposure to another language would learn it! You are very lucky, because English is an international language and you do not need to learn another one.

[Vale]

Sorry I meant bored and not boared!