Archive · 5 Oct 2026
How Parents’ Phone Use Can Affect Children’s Attention
Children often notice when a parent looks at a phone instead of paying attention to them.
A 2025 study asked 20 children, ages 6 to 9, about their parents’ device use.
The children said they could tell when phone use felt excessive.
Some felt frustrated or neglected when attention was divided.
Experts suggest parents think about their own phone habits.
They can put phones away during meals, homework, or bedtime conversations.
Phones can still be useful for work and family life.
The idea is to make room for more moments of focused attention, not to ban screens.
A 2025 study examined the experiences of 20 children aged 6 to 9.
Children in the study noticed how often their parents used devices.
They described feeling frustrated and neglected when parental attention was divided.
Experts suggest parents reflect on their own phone habits and set boundaries during family time.
The goal is not to eliminate screens, but to prevent phones from competing with family moments.
- Who
- Parents and children; the study involved 20 children aged 6 to 9.
- What
- A report discusses how parental device use can affect children’s sense of attention and recommends setting boundaries.
- When
- The cited study was published in 2025; the article was published October 5, 2026.
- Where
- The article does not specify a location.
- Why
- Children may feel frustrated or neglected when their parents’ attention is divided by devices.
Focused family attention
Practical device use
Phones during family moments
Focused family attention
Putting phones aside during meals, homework, or bedtime conversations may help parents give children focused attention.
Practical device use
Devices can support work, communication, family organization, and shared entertainment.
Managing screen use
Focused family attention
Parents can examine their own habits and avoid automatically checking notifications around their children.
Practical device use
The article does not call for a completely screen-free family; it suggests intentional use rather than eliminating devices.
- Study publication year
- 2025
- Study journal
- Journal of Child and Family Studies
- Study participants
- 20 children
- Participants’ ages
- 6 to 9
- Article publication date
- October 5, 2026
- Suggested approach
- Set boundaries around family time while recognizing that devices have practical uses.