I used to think that if my kids ever said they were bored, I was failing as a parent. Lately, I've been rethinking that. Although it doesn't please me when my kids say they're bored (which really translates to, "I don't feel like exerting myself to do anything more than stare at a computer or television screen can I please please please?") I think it's actually a good thing.
Being bored is something I think few kids are these days. On top of spending most of the day in school, they get ferried off to extracurricular classes and playdates, and use the rest of the time to do homework, eat, and probably stare at a screen. One of the great blessings of homeschool is that my kids have lots of time to just be kids. If I'm creative and proactive, we can spend that time doing interesting things. But even then, it's not uncommon (especially with dad gone and a sick mom) to hear "I'm bored!"
Like any good mother, when they say this, I usually do one of several things. Most often I launch into a list of things they could be doing. Why I do this, I don't know, because they never, ever respond with, "Gee, mom, you're right! I'll go read right now!" Next I'll say, "Well, I guess if you don't want to play with any of those toys, we'll just get rid of them." Seeing this in writing makes me realize the complete futility of this line of argument. Sometimes I just get fed up and go all grandma on them, "When I was your age we didn't have computers! We had 12 channels on the TV and sometimes there was nothing on for kids! We played outside all day long and we liked it!" And my children stare at me like I was raised on the prairie.
Today, when they gave me the "I'm bored" line I went into the playroom, got out some cars, and made a few ramps. That entertained them for about 5 minutes. I got out another toy, which also entertained them for 5 minutes. Sometimes that's what they want - for me to stop what I'm doing, sit down, and actually play with them. I guess not today though.
But what I'm discovering is that most of the time, when they say they're bored, if I let them be, soon I'll find them doing something on their own. I've decided that boredom is the doorway to imagination. I think it's good for kids to stop being entertained by the world around them, so that they can remember that there's enough inside them to entertain themselves. So here's to being bored.
No More Asian Life
12 years ago
2 comments:
Hey, this sounds familiar, weren't we just talking about this! ;-)
I enjoyed your post. I, too, tend to jump into sharing a laundry list of "to do's" when my kids utter the ever-popular, "I'm bored" statements. You seem to handle it much better than I do. I tend to get grumpy ... "When I was younger all I had was my imagination and I was NEVER bored. So there!" As you can probably guess, this type of response doesn't get a very joyful reply. Your entry also reminds me that I need to take a look at how much time I personally dedicate to my God-given treasure -- my children. Obviously, it's not enough. God bless you.
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