"I'm bored."
None of us like hearing those words from our kids. Often our first impulse is to shut their boredom down right away: Watch TV, play a video game, stare at this screen.
However, we're here to tell you there's an upside to your children's boredom. To paraphrase the movie Wall Street: Boredom is good.
It’s good because it helps your child develop. Here's why.
"Children need to sit in their own boredom for the world to become quiet enough that they can hear themselves," psychologist Dr. Vanessa Lapointe writes in the Huffington Post. "It is only when we are surrounded by nothing that something comes alive on the inside."
And that makes sense. Think about when you were a child and all those moments where you and your friends or siblings tried to overcome boredom. You got out of the house, engaged in some outdoor play, and soon enough you'd invented a new game.
Speaking to the BBC a few years ago, researcher Dr. Teresa Belton gave a number of examples of people who used their childhood boredom to flourish. They spoke to people they wouldn't have gotten to know, learned new skills, or indulged creative impulses to write or draw.
We understand that getting kids to slow down and overcome boredom can be a challenge, so we thought we'd share some tips on how to help them.
Avoid the temptation to giving your child quick fixes to their boredom. Ask them to come up with some ideas. Listen with empathy, but don't offer suggestions. You can also suggest that their brain and body just need some quiet time, and tell them to relax or even meditate.
Sit down with your child and have them make a list of everything they like to do when they get bored. Keep that list handy. The next time you hear "I'm bored," send them to the list. Tell them it's up to them: Stay bored, or go do something that they know they like
This is especially true for summertime, when your temptation may be to have your kids immersed in camp and other activities during their break from school. But child development experts say that overscheduling kids can prevent them from discovering what activities they truly treasure. It can also impede their emotional growth.
“Your role as a parent is to prepare children to take their place in society. Being an adult means occupying yourself and filling up your leisure time in a way that will make you happy,” Lyn Fry, a child psychologist in London, told Quartz. “If parents spend all their time filling up their child’s spare time, then the child’s never going to learn to do this for themselves.”
If you're looking for ways to help your kids beat boredom that don't involve screen time, Swingset & Toy Warehouse can help.
Our line of wooden swing sets and vinyl swing sets are a great way for them to get some exercise. And they're more than just swing sets. They're outdoor play sets designed to encourage them make up their own games and imagine new adventures.
Contact us today or visit one of our New Jersey locations, and we'll work with you to find a way to make "I'm bored" appear less frequently.