Bored

Today I encountered a situation I have never been in before.....when I asked a child that was sitting staring at me, why she didn't go build a barn for her pony or something, the response I received was, "well, she is bored." I said, "what?" The child responded, "my pony is bored." The phrases "I'm bored" or "This is boring" really bug me, but I must admit having a toy be bored is something I never expected.

I remember being bored as a child, but I don't remember my mother rescuing me from said boredom. I recall being sent to do something about it or simply live in my boredom. When I was a full-time teacher and students would tell me they were bored, I would respond by telling them it was their choice. You decide whether something is worth your attention, you decide if you are going to find the fun in the activity or choose to give way to your boredom.

I think that in today's society we have taught our children, that there is something wrong with being bored, that we need to fix it. They are often over scheduled with activities and often have no idea how to deal with the down time they might have. I am guilty of this also. Many times when my children say they are bored I give them a task or invent something for them to do. Why? Didn't we need to use our creativity and work through our boredom when we were younger? We made forts, invented pretend people, created delicious meals from grass and sand, and ridded the neighborhood of bad guys.

Have you noticed that many children you encounter don't have much of an imagination? My husband and I have actually talked about how the movie writers seem to have no imagination these days. They are just remaking movies we saw when we were young. Television has obviously run out of ideas as well, now we make tv shows out of "real" people's lives. Who knew that over scheduling and reality tv would lead us to a generation of "non-thinker" and times when even the toys are bored.

Let's challenge ourselves to allow our children to work through their boredom. Let's try to give them a block of time where we turn off all the electronics so they can just play and invent their own fun. If you are looking for a place to start, might I suggest putting a pile of recycling on the table (newspapers, cereal boxes, plastic bottles) and some tape and/or string....use these items and see what you can create. Maybe your family can make a robot or invent a new animal or make a skyscraper or just create something from your imagination. One thing our children love to do is make up plays. Give them a box of fabric and old clothes for costumes and let them create. If you want to add some excitement, let them use the video camera to capture their production.

What are your families favorite ways to break through the boredom? I would love to hear them!!