The power of attention

Psychologist and science journalist Daniel Goleman, in his book "Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence", states that there's a strong correlation between the ability of staying focused and success in one's life. In today's overly stimulated life, where distractors keep pulling us away from tasks at hand, we need to look at how we can support our children in the development of this very fundamental skill: sustained attention, also known as cognitive control.

The brain circuitry involved with the ability to stay focused is exactly the same one responsible for managing impulses and disturbing emotions. Furthermore closely linked to the skill of paying attention is the development of Emotional Intelligence (E.I.), of which Dr Goleman identifies four parts: self-awareness, self-management, empathy and social skills.

An environment which respects the child's engagement with an activity, by allowing uninterrupted time to "work" on the chosen task, grants him/her the opportunity to develop E.I.. You could consider playing some classical music, conducive to concentration, and in general removing any distractors such as tv noise in the background.