Hi there,

Kids today aren’t just distracted, they’re wired for it.

Like they’re bouncing from one thing to the next, barely finishing a thought before they’re scrolling, switching tabs, or asking for the iPad? 

Yep, same here. 

In my house, the biggest focus thief is YouTube. For some of my friends, it’s gaming. And while social media hasn’t hit us yet, I know it’s coming.

Hi, I’m Lakshmi, a mom of two who’s trying to find workarounds to this problem without having to ban screens, hire a tutor, or turn my house into a boot camp. Let’s begin ⤵️

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YouTube Shorts, really!! 

If I had to name one thing that’s wrecking kids’ attention spans, it’s short videos.

Those 5-second bursts? They’re brutal. My kids can’t stop scrolling, and honestly, neither can I sometimes.

I noticed the pattern: they'd watch one clip, then another, then another... and suddenly an hour’s gone. No sense of time, no real takeaway, just endless scrolling. So now, if I catch them deep in the scroll, I step in and ask:

“Okay, is this adding anything? Or is it just noise?”

It's not perfect, but it breaks the loop. 

PS: I recently learned you can pause YouTube Shorts for a month. Haven’t done it yet (I keep forgetting), but it's on my list. 

How does short-form content impact our brain? Let's understand!  

No Screens Before School 

I used to let my older one watch YouTube while eating breakfast. He’s a slow waker, and I figured it would help him ease into the morning. 

But what actually happened? He’d be half-zoned out, glued to the screen, and suddenly we’re rushing to brush teeth, pack bags, and head out the door.

So I cut it.

Now? Breakfast is calmer. He’s more present. Mornings don’t feel like a race against the clock.

Schoolwork First… 📔

I get it, kids come home from school wiped out. Sometimes all they want to do is collapse on the couch and grab a screen.

But I’ve learned that once they start scrolling or gaming, snapping back to focus mode is like trying to stop a runaway train. 

So now, no screen time until their schoolwork is done.

Here’s the key, though: I don’t expect them to jump straight from school into homework mode.

Sometimes they’ll go outside, play for a bit, or even watch one episode of a show with a proper storyline,  something that doesn’t trap them in endless scrolling. Then we sit down and get the work done.

It’s about making screens feel like a ‘next’ thing, not the first thing.

Finding Their ‘Flow’ (AKA What Makes Them Forget the World Exists)

I realized focus isn’t just about removing distractions, it’s about adding the right ones.

For my older one, that’s 3D printing. He got a 3D printer for the holidays, and now he’s obsessed. When he’s designing something, it’s like the world disappears, I practically have to drag him away for dinner.

For my younger one, it used to be drawing. He’d sit quietly, sketching away, completely locked in.

The trick? Spot what puts them in ‘flow’, then nurture it.

When my older one’s deep into his designs, I let him stay there. I don’t interrupt unless absolutely necessary, because that focus muscle? It’s worth strengthening. 

8 Optimal conditions for entering the flow state of mind, don’t miss the last one! 

The 20-Minute Timer Trick ⏲️

I have a Time Timer that has saved me. It’s a visual timer where kids can actually see the red section disappearing as time counts down.

I’ll say, “Just focus for 20 minutes. That’s it. After that, you can take a break.”

Here’s the fun part, they often keep going even after the timer goes off. Starting feels like the hard part; once they’re in the zone, they want to finish. 

We started with 5-10 minutes and gradually stretched it out. No pressure, just building that focus muscle, little by little. 

When YouTube Surprised Me

Okay, so YouTube’s not all bad.

One day, my older one casually dropped some random geo-political facts in conversation, turns out, he learned it from YouTube.

Both of my kids have also learned:
✅ Magic tricks (they’re weirdly good at card tricks now)
✅ Cooking recipes they’ve actually tried
✅ Step-by-step drawing tutorials 

So now, my rule is this: If you’re going to watch something, I want to see you do something with it.

Learn a magic trick? Show me. Cooked something new? Let’s eat. It’s helped turn mindless watching into something productive. 

YouTubers You’ll Actually Want Your Tweens to Follow. Check the list here!  

That’s all for today’s issue, parents! 🩷

See you next week, with another interesting topic. But first, check this out 👀⬇️

Inside the Laid-back Parent’s Internet History this week: 

Note for My Fellow Laid-Back Parents 📧 

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Some days feel like a win, like I’ve cracked the code. Other days? It’s chaos. But I’ve realized the key is experimenting, trying different things until something sticks.

And if you’re feeling overwhelmed, here’s my advice: start small.

Pick one thing, maybe it's pausing YouTube Shorts, cutting screens before school, or using a 20-minute timer.

The memo is to not control every second of their day, but to give them the tools to focus when it matters most. ❤️

Catch you next time, 

Lakshmi (Chief of Chill Parenting)