Having nothing to do is summer’s hidden gift
“Mommy, I’m sooooo bored!” Those words can send a shiver down any parent’s spine, especially when summer stretches endlessly ahead. I’ve felt that immediate urge to solve the problem with screens, schedules, or stimulation. But what if that pit-in-your-stomach feeling when your child complains of boredom isn’t signaling failure, but opportunity?
In all honesty, it took me years — and energetic kids — to truly understand this truth: Boredom isn’t a problem to solve; it’s an opportunity.
I know, I know. If I’d read that sentence during those early parenting years, I would’ve rolled my eyes too. But this isn’t just theoretical research talking, this is lived experience from the trenches of motherhood.
Yes, these empty spaces that exist until they find a way to occupy themselves are often filled with crankiness, sibling rivalry, and messes. And that’s part of the process. You’ve certainly seen bored kids find new friends, come up with businesses, and get imaginative, and this isn’t by chance. The “rest” state of boredom, in appropriate doses, is exactly what turns on the engine that says, “Let’s find something to do.”
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