Why Boredom is an Intrinsic Part of a Good Summer
Monday, July 17, 2017
Much has been made of Hong Kong’s ‘tiger mums’ and helicopter parenting, as the pressure builds on parents to ensure that their kids’ days are filled from sun up to well past sunset, with extra-curricular activities designed to get them further up the academic ladder. With summer looming ahead, what does this mean for those families who can’t get away for a holiday break? Or can’t afford the myriad summer camps on offer? What alternatives are left?
Before you say it, no. Technology is NOT the answer!
There are few parents who would disagree that they want to raise confident and self-reliant kids who can take initiatives and think for themselves. But filling your child’s time for them teaches them nothing except to depend on external stimulus, whether material possessions or entertainment. Providing nurturing conditions and trusting their natural inclination to engage their minds is far more likely to produce strong, independent and competent children, who take risks and have developed important life and soft skills, such as taking care of themselves and each other, problem-solving, logic, creative thinking.
The answer is: do nothing. Let your kids be bored. There is a plethora of research available on that will shows data from experts who say boredom is one of the best things for children, sparking imagination and independence, cultivating skills and abilities. There are numerous health benefits too.
After a busy year of study and (over) stimulation, it’s important to let our kids pause; from obligations, technology, commuting, even friends. While doing nothing may initially make them (and you!) feel anxious, slowing down is actually immensely beneficial, allowing kids to be more productive, creative, happier and peaceful in the long-run. Let boredom take them wherever it wants to, whether it’s daydreaming, doodling, or just sitting around, eventually something wonderful will happen.
1. No devices!
Shoving a tablet or a smartphone in front of kids is not only a lazy way to parent, but leads to a lot of health issues. Besides the mindless stimulation, spending too much time using technology and social media has been linked to depression and anxiety, poor academic performance , and poor sleep .
2. Spark creativity by doing nothing
Instead of thinking of boredom as a waste of time, change your mindset and see periods of inactivity as a necessary rest for the brains, which will leave minds feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Giving their minds a break from constant stimulation allows them to better take in new things and have new thoughts, which boosts creativity. Neuroscience research has found that daydreaming involves the same processes that govern imagination and creativity. So if you’re looking for your kids to get more creative, let them get bored.
Just letting the mind wander from time to time is important for everybody’s mental wellbeing and functioning . This article cites how creative professionals see boredom as an intrinsic part of their creative process, with Meera Syal, actress and writer, relating her experience of spending school holidays ‘staring out of the window at the rural landscape, and doing various things outside her “usual sphere”, like learning to bake cakes with the old lady next door. Boredom also made her write a diary, and it is to this that she attributes her writing career. “It’s very freeing, being creative for no other reason than that you freewheel and fill time,” she said.’
3. They can do hard things
Think of all the extra time, energy and brain-space that your kids will have for new things when you stop trying to fill every moment of their summer holidays. They will soon learn to use the extra energy they have when they’re bored to try a new activity of their own accord, enjoy their time and learn something new.
4. Learning important life skills
Summer is a perfect time to get your kids involved in household routines and doing chores. Chores can be done from age 2 upwards and are vital life skills. Pinterest is full of great pins that show some good age-appropriate chores. If they’ve never done chores before, don’t get stressed about this or their abilities, but take it as a guide to what children could be achieving at certain ages. Not only will your kids be learning how to take care of themselves, they are developing responsibility and autonomy, as well as learning the value of being part of their family and contributing to the household. A study has also shown that if people engage in low-key, undemanding activities such as chores, simultaneously their wandering mind is more likely to come up with imaginative ideas and solutions to problems, developing their problem-solving abilities.
What you can do:
• At home: keep an ‘inventor’s box’ of construction items, such as empty toilet rolls and cereal boxes, string, buttons, paper clips, scrap paper, scrap fabric, scrap anything, for them to create their own inventions. Give them an art tray with scissors, glue, yarn, tape, paint, colour pencils and crayons and see what they come up with!
• Stock up on books or get them a library card and spend a few hours a week at the library.
• Balloons can be used for a multitude of simple games, outdoors and indoors.
• Open spaces; beaches, parks and gardens. No toys needed, but maybe a magnifying glass, a bucket and spade for looking at all that cool stuff in nature. Just walking about in nature will make everyone feel better, no matter the weather but do remember the sunscreen or wellies and raincoat!
• Keep a chore schedule and reward your kids when chores are done; stickers, ice-cream, a walk after dinner, pocket-money, whatever you feel is appropriate.
• If kids have run out of ideas, set challenges, such as making a radio or TV play and recording it with their friends, or designing a comic strip or picture book with their friends, using a digital camera (if they are responsible) or drawing, or finding 10 specific items (like a black ladybird) on a nature walk (and taking pictures of them if they can’t collect them).
Read our article on “ Why you should work out with your kids” written by Hong Kong Playgroup Specialist here!
➡【Join our Mighty Oaks family!/ 快來加入奧恩大家庭】
➡【 Sign up for Acorn Trial Class now!/Acorn 試堂優惠】
Before you say it, no. Technology is NOT the answer!
There are few parents who would disagree that they want to raise confident and self-reliant kids who can take initiatives and think for themselves. But filling your child’s time for them teaches them nothing except to depend on external stimulus, whether material possessions or entertainment. Providing nurturing conditions and trusting their natural inclination to engage their minds is far more likely to produce strong, independent and competent children, who take risks and have developed important life and soft skills, such as taking care of themselves and each other, problem-solving, logic, creative thinking.
The answer is: do nothing. Let your kids be bored. There is a plethora of research available on that will shows data from experts who say boredom is one of the best things for children, sparking imagination and independence, cultivating skills and abilities. There are numerous health benefits too.
After a busy year of study and (over) stimulation, it’s important to let our kids pause; from obligations, technology, commuting, even friends. While doing nothing may initially make them (and you!) feel anxious, slowing down is actually immensely beneficial, allowing kids to be more productive, creative, happier and peaceful in the long-run. Let boredom take them wherever it wants to, whether it’s daydreaming, doodling, or just sitting around, eventually something wonderful will happen.
1. No devices!
Shoving a tablet or a smartphone in front of kids is not only a lazy way to parent, but leads to a lot of health issues. Besides the mindless stimulation, spending too much time using technology and social media has been linked to depression and anxiety, poor academic performance , and poor sleep .
2. Spark creativity by doing nothing
Instead of thinking of boredom as a waste of time, change your mindset and see periods of inactivity as a necessary rest for the brains, which will leave minds feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Giving their minds a break from constant stimulation allows them to better take in new things and have new thoughts, which boosts creativity. Neuroscience research has found that daydreaming involves the same processes that govern imagination and creativity. So if you’re looking for your kids to get more creative, let them get bored.
Just letting the mind wander from time to time is important for everybody’s mental wellbeing and functioning . This article cites how creative professionals see boredom as an intrinsic part of their creative process, with Meera Syal, actress and writer, relating her experience of spending school holidays ‘staring out of the window at the rural landscape, and doing various things outside her “usual sphere”, like learning to bake cakes with the old lady next door. Boredom also made her write a diary, and it is to this that she attributes her writing career. “It’s very freeing, being creative for no other reason than that you freewheel and fill time,” she said.’
3. They can do hard things
Think of all the extra time, energy and brain-space that your kids will have for new things when you stop trying to fill every moment of their summer holidays. They will soon learn to use the extra energy they have when they’re bored to try a new activity of their own accord, enjoy their time and learn something new.
4. Learning important life skills
Summer is a perfect time to get your kids involved in household routines and doing chores. Chores can be done from age 2 upwards and are vital life skills. Pinterest is full of great pins that show some good age-appropriate chores. If they’ve never done chores before, don’t get stressed about this or their abilities, but take it as a guide to what children could be achieving at certain ages. Not only will your kids be learning how to take care of themselves, they are developing responsibility and autonomy, as well as learning the value of being part of their family and contributing to the household. A study has also shown that if people engage in low-key, undemanding activities such as chores, simultaneously their wandering mind is more likely to come up with imaginative ideas and solutions to problems, developing their problem-solving abilities.
What you can do:
• At home: keep an ‘inventor’s box’ of construction items, such as empty toilet rolls and cereal boxes, string, buttons, paper clips, scrap paper, scrap fabric, scrap anything, for them to create their own inventions. Give them an art tray with scissors, glue, yarn, tape, paint, colour pencils and crayons and see what they come up with!
• Stock up on books or get them a library card and spend a few hours a week at the library.
• Balloons can be used for a multitude of simple games, outdoors and indoors.
• Open spaces; beaches, parks and gardens. No toys needed, but maybe a magnifying glass, a bucket and spade for looking at all that cool stuff in nature. Just walking about in nature will make everyone feel better, no matter the weather but do remember the sunscreen or wellies and raincoat!
• Keep a chore schedule and reward your kids when chores are done; stickers, ice-cream, a walk after dinner, pocket-money, whatever you feel is appropriate.
• If kids have run out of ideas, set challenges, such as making a radio or TV play and recording it with their friends, or designing a comic strip or picture book with their friends, using a digital camera (if they are responsible) or drawing, or finding 10 specific items (like a black ladybird) on a nature walk (and taking pictures of them if they can’t collect them).
Read our article on “ Why you should work out with your kids” written by Hong Kong Playgroup Specialist here!
➡【Join our Mighty Oaks family!/ 快來加入奧恩大家庭】
➡【 Sign up for Acorn Trial Class now!/Acorn 試堂優惠】
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