School's Out! Now...Boredom?

      Right about now children are celebrating the end of the school year. Recently, my mother, sister and I reminisced, remembering how much we looked forward to the end of the school year when we were young and the beginning of summer vacations. What stood out were some of the family trips taken up north and to the lakes but mostly we remembered the boredom. We also remembered the fun and inventive games that grew out of the boredom. I know that the days when my daughter says she is bored, I feel I need to come up with things for her to do but after reading what some child development experts say about allowing children to be bored, I now embrace her boredom. Since she is only three years old, I still make sure that she has toys and items for make-believe as well as situations and opportunities where her imagination and creativity might flourish but I leave it up to her to discover her talents and passion. According to psychologist, Dr. Vanessa Lapointe, a child needs enough stillness to awaken their sense of self and being. When they sit in the nothingness of boredom, they arrive at an understanding of who they are and awaken their own internal drive to be.  I remember when my younger brother was bored, he would look for things in the basement or garage to take apart and tinker with (I made sure that my possessions were well hidden) and today he is an engineer. It seems that what he did when he was bored, was who he was.

“Boredom always precedes a period of great creativity.”
Robert M. Pirsig

     It is said that play is the work of children so it stands to reason that kids are happiest in self-directed play. It is essential for children to decide for themselves how to use periods of unstructured time so that they can learn the art of managing it. An opinion piece in the New York Times titled Let Children Get Bored Again explains that it’s not the boredom itself that is beneficial but what is done with the time that leads to the route of discovery.

     Don’t let boredom propel your children to the screens of television, iPads, cell phones and video games but instead encourage them to go outside and engage in physical activity. Bodies are designed to move and staying active actually aids in sustaining attention and elevating mood. If possible, refrain from always having your children play in a factory-made play structure that is often designed for a specific purpose. In a natural play area, with sand, logs, boulders, rocks and/or water, you better stimulate children’s imaginations, increase their energy levels and get their creative juices flowing. There is an element of risk and problem solving, which can make for a magical time of imagination, creativity and self-discovery and also relieves boredom.

*Note: this post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Any purchases made via the links provided go to support our literacy efforts.

     Remember that reading is the best prescription for boredom and transports the reader to a new world! Check out our book lists or consider some of the following books about boredom:

Barnacle is Bored by Jonathan Fenske

I'm Bored by Michael Ian Black

The Bored Book by David Michael Slater

There's Nothing To Do by Dev Petty

On a Magical Do-Nothing Day by Beatrice Alemagna

Mother, I'm Bored! by Michelle Hummel

Usborne Never Get Bored Book

Have fun being bored this summer!

-Kate @ BTBL

---

Author

We are three generations that seek a way to get back to basics. It’s not that we eschew technology, but sometimes simpler is better, especially in raising our children. Mom was a reading teacher, Amanda is an early childhood educator and Kate a children’s literature specialist and former school librarian along with the latest additions, a daughter (now 3) for Kate, a son (now 1) and another little boy expected this year for Amanda. We advocate reading aloud, the simple toys that use imagination and encourage creativity and learning in the kitchen, which can be a fun mess but also teaches life skills. Join us in raising healthy, happy, inquisitive and intelligent children.