For the longest time it has been known that there is nothing parents could do to influence their children’s attention span. Many parents even turn to pharmaceuticals when their children’s inability to focus for a long time causes problematic behavior in settings such as school. What if there was a safer way to help your child? A study by Chen Yu, a professor of psychology at Indiana University, revealed that “the gaze data showed that when parents turned their visual attention to a young child who was playing with a toy and interacted with the infant, a parent’s responsiveness extended the amount of time a child remained focused on that toy.” Professor Chen Yu states that there are things parents can do now to help their child’s attention span:
- As you parent, you must stay actively engaged with your child, especially during play time. Simply sitting next to your child does not count; you must ENGAGE with them!
- Let your child explore and find something that catches their attention that you both can engage with. Do not be so quick to pick things for your
children to become engaged with. - Respond to the behavior of your child! Response time is an essential ingredient, your children needs to know that you are involved.
For more information: https://www.yahoo.com/news/simple-trick-may-improve-infants-attention-span-070338457.html?nhp=1