What? How can this be?! Why on earth would I want my child (children!) whining, “I’m bored” ad infinitum this summer?
Well, the whining and pants-tugging themselves might not be beneficial (or very fun for parents), but research suggests it IS perfectly acceptable to let your children experience boredom … and, most significantly, find their own way out of it. If we always structure our children’s time, they will have difficulty learning to structure it themselves! Imaginative play is a wonderful thing. The following articles highlight the importance of unstructured play, and one in particular offers concrete suggestions for how to respond when a child says, “I’m bored …”:
The research: Why Free Play Is the Best Summer School
The suggestions: Why Boredom is Good For Your Child
Happy summer!