We tend to assume that our children have short attention spans because they are bored of what they're playing with and need something new, but Christakis thinks children get bored so quickly because they haven't spent enough time on a meaningful activity. When we have enviornments full of "stuff," the temptation to "pull things out of your bag of tricks" at the first sign of boredom becomes overwhelming. Sometimes when there's less in a room, it's easier to keep the child engaged more deeply and for longer.
"It’s a habit of mind for all of us as adults to slow down and be more mindful of what we’re using, what we’re doing. And it’s the same kind of habit of mind for kids. But as parents we can really help them them along by not throwing constant solutions at them."
