Short Attention Spans Delay Child Development Milestones

By Author: Naveen Patel
Total Articles: 2
Comment this article

Does Your Child Seem to Have a Short Attention Span?

A study conducted by Microsoft shows that the average human attention span has fallen from 12 seconds in 2000 to eight seconds in 2015, reported The Telegraph in May 2015. The results were established by conducting a survey among 2000 participants and studying the brain activity of 112 others using electroencephalograms. It is believed that the attention span of a gold fish, at 9 seconds, is higher than that of a human. Smart phones were sighted as one of the major reasons for the depleted ability to concentrate. As external stimuli increase, the ability to focus on one thought seems to be steadily decreasing. In children, this could manifest as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD) which is characterized by inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. This could delay child development milestones and go on to severely hinder their academic potential.

How to Increase Your Child's Attention Span

Encourage Exercise: There is a strong mind-body connection when it comes to attention spans. When a child engages in physical activity, it also strengthens ...
... his capacity to focus his mind. For example, if a child walks or rides his bicycle to school, chances are he will pay more attention to his classes in the mornings. Children are said to need at least 20 minutes of rigorous activity twice a day, if not more.

Feed the Right Food: While a child's natural affinity is towards sweets and carbohydrates, it is a caregiver's job to provide healthy food for kids with the right amount of proteins and irons needed for achieving child development milestones. Fortified milk supplements like Enfagrow A+ that provide essential macro and micro nutrients could help to aid memory and attention span.

Limit the Use of Electronics: It is largely agreed upon that the use of electronic gadgets are responsible for the decrease in attention spans in general. However, as it is impossible to eliminate them from modern lives, the amount of time spent on them must be regulated, especially in developing children. In order to do this, the adult must lead by example and inculcate other hobbies that require focus such as reading.

Focus Strengthening Games: Other than reading, encourage your child to solve the crossword or a picture puzzle. Searching for unusual patterns and clues, like when they participate in a treasure hunt, can help to increase attention and develop parts of the brain in order to attain child development milestones faster than most. As they say, the brain functions like a muscle. The more you exercise it the stronger it gets.

Make Sure He Gets Enough Sleep: Sleep is indelibly related to attention span. This statement is ratified by the article published by the Douglas Mental Health University in Quebec, Canada. Lack of sleep not only reduces ones capacity to concentrate in class, it also reduces the ability to remember what was taught. Unhealthy bedtime habits and use of screens at night are leading insomnia in younger children and this could be one of the most important reasons for shorter attention spans.

For more details please visit at http://www.enfagrow.co.in/