Allow the kids to be bored- it’s a good thing!

How many parents hear these words from their children? -

‘I’m bored!!!’

And how many parents think it’s a worrying moment?

Well, here’s a revelation for you all: don’t be worried!

Boredom is the foundation of creativity.

That moment when you have ‘nothing to do’ means you have to fill the gap and think of something, anything to do. Just sticking the TV on or thrusting a tablet in front of their face is an easy solution, but that will certainly dampen their creativity and a golden opportunity to be inventive.

So how can we as parents fuel that creativity? Ultimately, just allowing them to find it themselves is the way in. And certainly not forcing it either.

Remember when we were kids before tablets, Instagram and iPhones? We’d have to fend for ourselves: building towers with cushions, making dens in the living room with blankets and chairs (this was one of mine and myself sister’s favourite games as kids!), searching for ants in the garden or park, trying to make a mini house out of a pack of cards, the options were endless…

So, try offering them a simple solution like ‘Why don’t you head in to the garden and find as many random things as possible and see where it leads you?’ Chances are they will create some weird, whacky invention!

Or, ‘here’s a stack of paper and some crayons, the world is your oyster to create something amazing’.

Or, ‘Why don’t you get ALL your toys out in a row and see what happens?’

A little inspiration goes a long way.

And what will, or at the very least, might happen is a sense of a period of time without rules or a sense of time and boundaries, so to speak. It will help them learn the art of independence, of being a free spirit and fending for themselves, paving the way graciously towards adolescence.

There might be a terrible mess, but there will hopefully be something unique, playful, FUN and who knows? Maybe something wonderful might happen…