“I’m booorreeddd!” Oh, how that complaint immediately grinds the gears of any busy parent.
In today’s connected world of streaming on-demand services like Netflix and internet accessibility, it is so tempting to give your child a device to distract them. However, we know that doing so will be very harmful to their attention span, mental growth, and physical well-being.
After all, for many of us who grew up in the era before mobile devices and widespread internet usage, we managed perfectly fine. We didn’t get “bored to death” or needed to be entertained 24/7. In that case, let’s not disregard our children’s own innate ability to deal with boredom.
According to Associate Professor and acting CEO of the Parenting Research Centre, Julie Green, when children are required to find something to do, they’re forced to use their problem-solving skills, creative thinking and imagination to play.
Not only that, but letting them experience and solve their boredom helps instill a sense of perseverance even through stressful moments.
“It can really be worth parents holding their nerve when the kids complain about being bored. It shows children it isn’t the end of the world to be a bit bored and to work through it,” says Green.
So switch off the television, put away those electronic devices, and keep the toys. Here are key tips on how to help your children – and yourself – deal with their boredom.
Trust your bored child with themselves
First things first, as parents, we will never be able to let our children grow and develop if we aren’t able to let go and let them be themselves. Children are inherently creative. This is evident in the way they see the world and how they interact with it.
Sure, children may gripe and groan at first, but leave them alone for a while and they will certainly come up with ways to keep themselves occupied. It may be exploring their surroundings, singing to themselves, doodling, or generally being up to mischief.
As an adult, you may find their fidgeting bothersome, but it is certainly better than leaving them to be distracted by electronic devices!
Give your children items and suggestions
Some of us adults may remember how we spent our childhood building pillow fortresses or playacting, sailing a boat or driving a racecar by sitting in a box. Just imagine how we entertained ourselves just from the power of our own childhood imagination.
The thing is, that imagination is not unique to us, or our generation. That same imagination is innate to all children, and it shows itself when young minds are left to their own devices.
So when a child gets bored, leave them empty cardboard boxes, or soft items like blankets, balls, and pillows. Also, drop in some suggestions such as, “imagine this being a boat” or “you could build a castle with these pillows”, to help bring out their creativity and spur their imagination. You would be surprised at where their imagination and these simple household items will take them.
Let your child be responsible for their own boredom
It is true that modern parenting involves a lot of managing your child’s daily lives and activities. We always have to section out their days to time for learning, playing, and resting. Maybe it is time to let go and let your children come up with their own way of occupying their time.
Filling all of their rest time with entertainment or activities will make your child dependent on you. Shouldn’t we encourage our children to be more independent and manage their time themselves instead? Especially in times when they are bored!
So, instead of giving them electronic devices or toys to occupy their down time, we should let them occupy themselves with their own creative and imaginative pursuits.
