Stretching the Attention Span

I am not an expert on attention span or child-rearing but I am always surprised when I interact with today’s children. I am surprised because of their lack of attention span. Or should I say, their short attention span. I wonder if the electronic games and TV shows with their commercials every few minutes do more damage than we estimate. Maybe through the years I have forgotten how it was with my own children, now all young adults.

I would put forward this advice however, and I am repeating myself from an earlier post, but it is this-turn off the TV and electronic games and for a month, do nothing but read out loud to your child and interact with him or her. Get down on the floor and talk and play together, developing conversations that the toys or action figures are having. Play dollies and house, making tea for company. I challenge all young moms to forget the dust bunnies in the corner, and do not stress out if your child wears the same outfit two days in a row. The wash can wait.

Next bit of advice. If your child cannot sit for more than one book, take up the challenge and say they have to sit for two stories. Read two stories every day at one sitting for a week and then go to three. I can remember my toddler sitting and looking through a whole stack of picture books by himself.

If your child is wiggling too much and won’t sit still, deal with it. Tell him or her to sit still or there will be consequences. Expect more and eventually you will get more. Is this the whole answer? No but it is a start. Come on now, be realistic, be real and get reading.