Why are we as parents so scared of boredom? What are we afraid of? When our children are little it is important to have structure for them. There then comes a point when children should have their boundaries lifted a bit. When this happens many parents panic. They aren’t sure what their child is going to do with this newfound freedom. They are afraid to take away structure because they don’t want their children to be bored. Yes, there needs to be some limitations but you might be surprised by what your child can do, if you would just let him show you!
If you teach your child basic cooking techniques when they are young, when they have free time as tweens/teens they might be baking you some freshly made chocolate chip cookies. If you teach your child basic sewing techniques, when they have free time when they are older you may find yourself with some beautiful new throw pillows for the couch. If you teach your child basic drawing or painting techniques when they are little there may come a day when you no longer need to buy Christmas cards to send out every year because your child will create them all, by hand!
The problem is, we are afraid of the mess. We are afraid of the process. Which is a ridiculous fear because as the old saying goes; no pain, no gain. We may need to sacrifice a little more than we anticipated when they are little but as they grow and mature, the rewards are great! It may seem like extra work having to deal with their messes and mistakes while they are learning but isn’t that all part of parenting anyway?
A hundred years ago parents didn’t have video games or Smartphones to hand to their kids for entertainment. They required their children to learn how to do the chores. Not just an assigned chore appropriate for their age to keep them busy but all of the chores because they needed to be done. Children were expected to help around the house. Period. Now that we have so many forms of entertainment available, we revert to these methods. Then, when our kids have free time, this is what they want to do. When the parent says, “no” then the child is bored because they haven’t been taught how to entertain themselves.
This is a problem but it doesn’t have to be. Children can easily entertain themselves if we give them the chance. If we limit or even take away entertainment for a period of time, they honestly forget about it. They learn how to work with their hands. They create. They build. They work.
Some of the most amazing things that children come up with usually come out of “boredom.” With the right tools, a parent willing to teach, and plenty of time, boredom can be turned into something beautiful. Forget about the schedules and forget about your plans. Allow your child’s creativity to turn boredom into a lifelong skill!
