The Benefits of Being Bored
Hello dear,
Can you remember what it felt like to be bored? Imagine nothing to do. Imagine getting to decide what to do, how to spend your time, to be able to hear your own thoughts.
To me this sounds like heaven.
Yet as I sit here drinking my tea at the coffee shop I can hear kids complaining they’re bored and carers rushing in with entertainment options. Next time your child tells you they’re bored, great, do nothing. Make no offers. And then watch... watch their imagination come to life as their little minds take over and they find a stick that becomes a sword, they debate each other about who found the biggest beetle and they organise themselves for a game of hide and seek.
You see, boredom is good for kids. Here’s just three known benefits…
Boredom sparks creativity
When faced with unstructured play time kids naturally search for stimulation. If there’s nothing immediately on offer then they begin to search for it in their own heads. They begin to imagine, to invent, to create. Children with free time will start to explore and pursue their own interests and you never know where this may lead them.
Boredom is a motivator
At some point kids grow up and no longer have someone entertaining them or managing their schedule of extra curricular activities. They need to manage their own time, make their own decisions and be self-motivated. When bored, kids are practising these very skills and at the same time becoming engaged and interested in the world around them.
Boredom makes you more interesting
Don't forget... “Only boring people get bored.”
From: Aunt Matilda
http://time.com/5480002/benefits-of-boredom/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/hide-and-seek/201407/the-surprising-benefits-boredom
https://www.mother.ly/parenting/5-surprising-benefits-of-letting-your-children-get-bored