I was running myself ragged trying to keep him entertained and happy that summer on vacation. I was pulling out all my tricks to keep him busy.
He was too young to even know the word bored, but I was doing everything in my power to prevent it.
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Fast forward a few years and he knows that simple phrase, I’m bored, all to well.
How many times do you hear, “there’s nothing to do” or “I’m bored”. It’s natural as a parent to want your children to be happy and content and when they start complaining of boredom, we worry.
Fortunately my husband’s aunt gave me some simple and reassuring , but powerful and freeing parenting advice that summer a few years back.
It went like this: “It’s okay if he is bored.” That’s all, but it was like a weight was lifted from my chest.
Boredom is defined as the state of being weary and restless through lack of interest. It’s having nothing to do or no interest in anything you could do.
Boredom has become an uncomfortable state with expectation that we need to be constantly stimulated and engaged.
Boredom is good for kids.
Are you going through your list of what’s good for your children: fruits and vegetables, reading, exercise, boredom…what…that’s not on the list.
Boredom teaches kids to problem solve. I’m bored; I have nothing to do-problem. What I am I going to about it-solution. Am I going to go outside and play in the sandbox? Am I going to draw? Am I going to lay in bed and daydream? Am I going to pull out my legos and build?
Boredom teaches kids to be creative and use their imagination. They are forced to think of ways to entertain themselves. Often times when we think of being creative, we think of arts of crafts, but it can be anything. Being creative is the ability to create new things or think of new ideas. Imagination is the ability to form a picture in your mind of something that you have not seen or experienced; the ability to think of new things.
Boredom helps kids learn time management. Boredom allows kids unstructured time that they must manage. It forces them to prioritize their tasks and what they want to accomplish. They learn to judge the time it will take to complete a task.
Boredom can lead to new interests and trying things they would not normally engage in. I taught our oldest to play solitaire with a deck of cards in his first days of summer break last year. He taught his brother and they play it all the time.
Boredom allows for autonomy. It allows them the opportunity to work independently and control what they do within your boundaries.
While their excessive cries of boredom may be driving us crazy, that boredom is going to help them develop and grow into happy and healthy adults who can problem solve, be creative, manage their time, and function independently.
