“Mom, I’m sooooo bored!”
If you ask any parent, they’ll likely tell you that the most dreaded phrase they hear from their children is the complaint of boredom. We’ve all been there, whether juggling remote work or managing daily parenting duties. A child following you around, whining about having nothing to do can be incredibly frustrating. But here’s a truth that might surprise you: if your child is feeling bored, it’s not entirely their fault; it’s yours.
Yes, you read that right. Your child’s cries of boredom stem from the fact that they haven’t learned how to cope with it. Just as you taught them to tie their shoes and ride a bike, it’s crucial to help kids develop the skills to navigate those dull moments. When a child exclaims, “I’m bored,” they are actually saying, “Mom, I’ve exhausted my options, and now I need you to entertain me because I haven’t learned to create my own fun.” Sorry, kid, but I’m not here to serve as your personal entertainer. Go build a fort or something; this mom has her own things to do.
While I may sound indifferent to the idea of boredom, it’s taken years of guiding my kids to become comfortable with it to reach this point. Early on, I realized that I was not the type of parent who would provide constant entertainment from dawn till dusk. Reflecting on my own childhood, aside from a few moments when my mom engaged in a game with my siblings and me or took us on ice cream runs, she wasn’t my playmate. And that was perfectly fine.
My brothers and I learned to entertain ourselves. We put on musical performances in the living room, raced around the neighborhood on bikes and Big Wheels, played endless rounds of Monopoly and UNO, and even enjoyed solitary afternoons with a book. Boredom spurred creativity back then, but today’s children often find themselves in a different situation.
At some point, we collectively decided that every second of a child’s day must be filled with entertainment. Our cars are equipped with DVD players, restaurants provide iPads at the table, and streaming services like Netflix and Hulu are ready to step in as electronic babysitters. Kids’ schedules are packed with sports and activities, leaving little room for downtime. As a result, when a child encounters a moment of perceived nothingness, it can feel strange and unsettling. However, a child who has learned to channel boredom into creativity will rarely utter the phrase, “I’m bored.”
We need to equip our kids with the tools to self-motivate and feel empowered during unstructured time. They should be encouraged to seek out more than passive entertainment. It’s essential to help them feel in control of their time and cultivate confidence in their creative abilities.
How to Nurture Creativity
So, how do we nurture creativity while struggling to detach from our devices? We start by allowing our children to work through their boredom when it arises. Resist the urge to provide suggestions immediately when they announce their boredom. Incorporate scheduled downtime into your family’s routine; even a mere half-hour of quiet time can significantly boost creativity and lead to more reading. And yes, that means you too, Mom: put down your phone and ignore the laundry for a bit.
We can also decline the iPad at the restaurant and skip the DVD during short car rides. Honestly, does a child need to watch cartoons during a quick trip to the grocery store? While screen time can be enjoyable for both kids and adults, it can sometimes become overwhelming.
Consider turning off the television, changing the household Wi-Fi password, and observing the outcome. Initially, there may be some grumbling, but if you hold your ground, the magic of boredom will start to emerge. Your children will eventually discover their own forms of entertainment. The more they learn to entertain themselves, the less frequently you’ll have to endure the dreaded “I’m bored” complaints.
While nurturing creativity in my kids means I now own more art supplies than a craft store and my home is a treasure trove of forgotten science projects and blanket forts, the sounds of my children engaging in creative play remind me that life is anything but dull.
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Summary
Allowing children to experience boredom is crucial for their development. By resisting the urge to constantly entertain them, we can empower them to explore their creativity and learn how to self-motivate. Scheduled downtime, reduced screen time, and encouraging independent play can foster a sense of autonomy and confidence in our children, ultimately leading to a more imaginative and less monotonous childhood.