How many times a day to you hear the dreaded “I’m bored” from your kids? Depending on the day, it’s anywhere from one to approximately one million times in my house. As this seemingly endless winter drags on, the frequency increases.
Every time it’s uttered, I’m baffled. Our house is filled with things to do: games, toys, coloring books, books. It should be impossible for the kids in this house to be bored.
When it happens, my gut reaction is annoyance. Quickly followed by going into solution mode. What can I get out for them to do? What can I do with them so they’re not bored?
At that moment, I think it’s important to fix. Looking back at it later, I become annoyed at myself. There was nothing in that moment that needed to be fixed.
Repeat after me: it is one hundred perfect okay for kids to be bored. We do not have to keep them occupied every single moment they’re awake. I’d go so far as to say that we do them no favors by removing every ounce of boredom from their lives. It’s actually detrimental to their growth.
Some of the most creative moments I witness from my sons are directly related to their “boredom” and letting them figure it out on their own. It’s how they figure out how to use their imagination. My kids create the most intricate games with one another when given the space to do so. It also lessens the load on my shoulders to continually be in charge of how they feel every second of every day.
I’m not saying to ignore your kids. Far from it. When they ask me to play a game or read a book, I will absolutely do that.
But when the complaint is a generic form of “I’m bored,” I refuse to get involved.
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