Indistractable

•    Teach your children to swim before they dive in. Like swimming in a pool, children should not be allowed to partake in certain risky behaviors before they are ready.

•    Test for tech readiness. A good measure of a child’s readiness is the ability to manage distraction by using the settings on the device to turn off external triggers.

the apps and videos on the iPad were made by some very smart people and were intentionally designed to keep her hooked and habitually watching. It’s important that our kids understand the motives of the gaming companies and social networks—while

When parents impose limits without their kids’ input, they are setting them up to be resentful and incentivizing them to cheat the system.

While it’s important our kids are aware that products are designed to be highly engaging, we also need to reinforce their belief in their own power to overcome distraction. It’s their responsibility, as well as their right, to use their time wisely.

•    Don’t underestimate your child’s ability to precommit and follow through. Even young children can learn to use precommitments as long as they set the rules and know how to use a timer or some other binding system.

•    Consumer skepticism is healthy. Understanding that companies are motivated to keep kids spending time watching or playing is an important part of teaching media literacy.

•    Put the kids in charge. It’s only when kids practice monitoring their own behavior that they learn how to manage their own time and attention.

Instant digital connectivity can come at the expense of being fully present with those beside us.

Living the life you want requires not only doing the right things but also avoiding doing the wrong things.

Stop trying to actively suppress urges—this only makes them stronger. Instead, observe and allow them to dissolve.

Reimagine the internal trigger. Look for the negative emotion preceding the distraction, write it down, and pay attention to the negative sensation with curiosity rather than contempt.

To get fewer emails, send fewer emails. When you check email, tag each message with when it needs a reply and respond at a scheduled time.