KERA
Skip to content
  • Home
  • Television
  • Radio
  • News
  • Art&Seek
  • Kids&Family
  • KXT 91.7
  • About
  • Donate
  • Kids & Family

  • Teachers

    • Attachment & Socialization

      About Attachment & Socialization
      Your Child's Attachment Development
      Attachment Tools & Tips
      Attachment & Socialization Videos

    • Early Literacy

      About Early Literacy
      Early Literacy Development
      Early Literacy Tools & Tips
      Early Literacy Videos

    • Nutrition & Fitness

      Food
      Nutrition
      Activities
      Nutrition & Fitness Videos

    • Temperament

      About Temperament
      Your Child's Temperament
      Temperament Tools & Tips
      Temperament Videos

  • Parents

    • Attachment & Socialization

      About Attachment & Socialization
      Your Child's Attachment Development
      Attachment Tools & Tips
      Attachment & Socialization Videos

    • Early Literacy

      About Early Literacy
      Early Literacy Development
      Early Literacy Tools & Tips
      Early Literacy Videos

    • Nutrition & Fitness

      Food
      Nutrition
      Activities
      Nutrition & Fitness Videos

    • Temperament

      About Temperament
      Your Child's Temperament
      Temperament Tools & Tips
      Temperament Videos

  • Kids

    • Play Games
    • PBS Kids Video
    • PBS Kids Mobile
Home > Ready for Life > Parents > Temperament > About Temperament > Tips For Working With Distractibility
Skip to content
  • For Parents
    • Temperament
      • About Temperament
        • Tips for Working With Activity Level
        • Tips For Working With Awareness Of Feelings
        • Tips for Working with Children Who Enjoy Change or Who Enjoy What’s Familiar
        • Tips For Working With Distractibility
        • Tips For Working With Moods
        • Tips For Working With Persistence
        • Tips For Working With Sensitivity To Senses
        • Tips For Working With Strengths Of Expression
        • Tips For Working With The Need For Physical Routine
      • Key Temperament Traits
      • Temperament Defined
      • Temperament Tools and Tips
        • Temperament Resources
        • Temperament Tips
      • Your Child’s Temperament
        • Temperament and Temporary Care
        • Your Child’s Temperament-Based World
      • Temperament Videos
    • Attachment & Socialization
    • Early Literacy
    • Nutrition & Fitness

Tips For Working With Distractibility

four-year-old african american girl concentrating on her drawingTips for Working with a Child Who Is Very Focused

Friends, Family and Home

  • Provide her with private space to work on her activities.
  • Encourage him to be flexible and willing to change activities when friends want new ones.
  • Warn her ahead of time before going on a family outing or asking her to join a family activity.
  • Provide pictures and toys in his crib for him to enjoy.

Learning, Childcare and School

  • Ask the teacher to remind her about toileting and water breaks.
  • Let teachers know that he often needs some notice to be able to stop his activity and move on.
  • Read books with more complex stories to her, and ask her questions about the story and pictures.

Activities and Television

  • Encourage him in a variety of activities, not just one.
  • She may not hear when you call her from TV or activities, so physically touch her to get her attention.
  • Provide him with puzzles and activities with more pieces and greater difficulty.

Guidance and Discipline

  • If she does not respond to you, go over and touch or face her to get her attention.
  • Talk with him about different ways to do things.
  • Give her time to think about things before expecting answers.
  • Allow extra time for babies and toddlers to eat and experiment with spoons and textures.

two-year-old distracted girl looking bored sitting in a large wooden chairTips for Working with a Child Who Is Easily Distracted

Friends, Family and Home

  • Ask that family members not label him as having attention problems.
  • Make sure that family members are patient with her.
  • Keep mealtime and other family routines short.
  • Change a baby’s position and location often.

Learning, Childcare and School

  • Have him complete a small part of a project, do something else, and then come back to finish.
  • Reward her with breaks or other treats when she finishes each part.
  • Provide him with shorter books and books with bright illustrations.
  • Remind childcare providers that some babies may need extra time and breaks to finish a bottle.

Activities and Television

  • Play games and encourage her in activities away from TV and in a quieter room to lessen distractions.
  • Provide him with games and activities that build on his favorite way of doing things, such as using sounds, movement, or looking at things.
  • Limit television, as that could decrease her ability to pay attention to other things.

Guidance and Discipline

  • Compliment what he does rather than complaining about what he doesn’t do.
  • Give her instructions one step at a time, such as “Put the blocks in this box,” rather than “Clean your room.”
  • Provide alternatives (quiet books and small toys) to keep him busy during situations where he will have to sit for long periods, such as religious services or appointments.

Related Video

  • Feeling Loved

    Children need to establish a loving relationship with a dependable care giver from the time they are infants. This video will show you how.
  • Getting Along

    It's important to teach your child how to get along with others in spite of differences in temperament.
  • Who Is My Child?

    In this video, you will learn about how our temperament traits make us different from one another.
  • What Makes Up a Child’s Temperament?

    Find out about the different aspects of temperament traits.
  • Temperament Traits

    Understand the different traits that make up your child's temperament.
  • Do Your Child’s Temperament and World Fit Together?

    Learn to balance what your child needs from their environment because of their temperament and also what they need to learn to adapt to.

    play GAMES

    watch VIDEOS

    Full Steam Ahead
  • Home
  • Contact KERA
  • Privacy Policy
PBS NPR American Public Media BBC

© 2023 KERA