8 ways to boost your child’s focus: Parenting tips by cognitive science

In a world buzzing with screens, short-form videos and endless notifications, helping children build focus has become one of modern parenting’s biggest challenges but according to cognitive science, attention is not a fixed trait rather, a skill that can be trained, shaped and strengthened over time.

Here are eight ways to boost your child’s focus and attention span, as proven by neuroscience and developmental psychology.

Prioritise sleep quality

A rested brain is a focused brain. Maintain a consistent bedtime routine and eliminate screens at least 60 minutes before sleep. According to a 2019 study published in Nature and Science of Sleep, insufficient sleep in children significantly reduces their ability to sustain attention and self-regulate emotions.

Children who got 9–11 hours of sleep showed markedly higher performance in sustained attention tasks.

Encourage mindful breathing

Mindfulness helps children anchor their wandering minds. Practice short but guided breathing exercises with your child for 5–10 minutes daily. A 2020 study in Frontiers in Psychology found that mindfulness-based programs in classrooms improved children’s executive attention or the brain’s control center for managing distractions and focusing on goals.

Limit multitasking

Children’s brains are not wired for multitasking and neither are adults’. Encourage single-tasking for instance, reading without background TV or doing homework in a quiet space. According to a 2018 Stanford University study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, frequent media multitasking leads to poorer attention control and reduced working memory capacity.

Feed the brain right

Nutrition plays a direct role in focus and memory. Add walnuts, eggs, spinach and fish like salmon to your child’s diet. A 2021 Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health study found that omega-3 fatty acids, iron, and B vitamins improve children’s attention span and processing speed.

The researchers observed that children consuming fish twice a week performed better in attention and learning tests.

Let them play outdoors

Nature enhances cognitive control. Ensure your child spends at least an hour outdoors daily but unstructured playtime counts too. A landmark 2019 study published in Environmental Health Perspectives found that children exposed to green spaces demonstrated 15–20% higher attention and working memory scores.

Researchers linked this to lower stress hormone levels and better neural connectivity in the prefrontal cortex.

Teach “chunking”

Breaking information into chunks helps the brain retain and process better. Encourage your child to break big tasks like studying a chapter into smaller and manageable parts. A 2022 study from the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology found that children taught to organise information in smaller groups (“chunking”) had 30% higher accuracy in memory recall tasks.

Model focus yourself

Children mirror adult behaviour. Parents who model calm, focused behaviour indirectly teach their kids to do the same. Put your phone aside during family time and engage mindfully as it is contagious. A 2019 research from the Harvard Center on the Developing Child (2019) noted that children learn self-regulation and focus through “co-regulation,” meaning they adopt parents’ emotional and behavioural cues.

Introduce “focus breaks”

Short breaks improve long-term attention. The breaks allow the brain’s attention network to recharge, preventing mental fatigue. Use the “Pomodoro for Kids” method where 25 minutes of study is followed by a 5-minute stretch or snack break. A 2021 Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications study found that incorporating short, 5-minute “focus breaks” between tasks improved children’s concentration by 25%. Attention is like a muscle where the more your child practices using it in focused and mindful ways, the stronger it becomes. By applying these research-backed strategies, parents can help children build lifelong focus skills that will outlast any app or algorithm designed to steal their attention.