‘It’s just their mind taking a break when it needs to’: How parents in Ireland view and manage mind-wandering in young children

Olivia Wynne; Maisie Flynn; Agnieszka Graham; Teresa McCormack; Joyce Senior; John McMullen; Michelle Downes

doi:10.37291/2717638X.202671684

Authors

Olivia Wynne University College Dublin https://orcid.org/0009-0005-5316-2075
Maisie Flynn University College Dublin https://orcid.org/0009-0009-4688-9566
Agnieszka Graham Queen's University Belfast https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1358-7512
Teresa McCormack Queen's University Belfast https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5370-4496
Joyce Senior University College Dublin https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7036-3956
John McMullen Queen's University Belfast https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1838-2652
Michelle Downes University College Dublin https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9317-0644

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37291/2717638X.202671684

Keywords:

Mind-wandering, Young children, Parents’ perspectives, Educational neuroscience, Qualitative research

Abstract

Mind-wandering occurs when thoughts become unrelated to the task at hand, a phenomenon commonly experienced by adults and children. Recent research has revealed that mind-wandering can negatively impact children's learning. However, no studies have explored parents' perspectives of their children's mind-wandering, despite the crucial role parents play in supporting children's learning. This study investigated how parents of children in the first years of formal education perceive and manage mind-wandering during school tasks. Three online focus groups were conducted with parents (N=7) from the island of Ireland. Reflexive thematic analysis resulted in the development of five themes: 1) Mind-wandering is a typical, positive element of learning in children, 2) Mind-wandering is more likely to occur in certain circumstances, 3) Children tend to share the content of their mind-wandering, providing parents with valuable insights, 4) Parents adopt a trial-and-error approach to the management of mind-wandering, 5) Parents’ frustration with mind-wandering arises from time constraints. Although parents generally feel confident in the management of mind-wandering during learning activities, they expressed concerns about future challenges as homework becomes more demanding. These findings can inform further research by acknowledging parents' expressed needs, so that children can be adequately supported before mind-wandering impacts their learning.

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