The Benefits of Boredom
Ah, summer break will soon be upon us. For many kids, the summer break from school is the best time of the year. With no school to attend or homework to finish, they have the free time to enjoy all sorts of fun activities outdoors as well as inside. While there are numerous advantages to having all this free time, it often leads to a major complaint. “I’m BORED…!” In this non-stop, technological world, boredom gets a bad rap. It’s not uncommon to see kids and teens retreat to tablets and phones when they’re faced with a few minutes of unstructured free time. Video games, texting, and social media sites make it easier than ever to avoid dreaded boredom. But have you ever considered the benefits of boredom?
Boredom Builds Skills
Letting your kids be bored can be a painful experience for parents and caregivers. But, it can teach them some valuable skills. When kids face free time, it forces them to come up with a way to fill the time. And this leads to creativity. Boredom also helps kids exercise their problem-solving skills and build a tolerance for uncomfortable circumstances.
It’s not the boredom itself that helps children acquire these skills — it’s what they do with the boredom. For starters, it helps kids build tolerance of less-than-ideal experiences. Life requires us to manage our frustrations and regulate our emotions when things aren’t going our way. Boredom is a great way to teach that skill. So, if you’re wondering “is boredom good or bad” or “what are the advantages and disadvantages of boredom,” here are some solid reasons why boredom is actually good for your child to experience.
Boredom Encourages Kids to Think Creatively
Creativity is one of the most important skills a child can develop. We often tie creativity to artistic expression, but really, it’s about exploring ideas and using your imagination to solve problems in interesting ways. It’s no secret that entrepreneurs are just as creative as artists!
Creative thinking can begin when kids have time to sit down and explore their imagination. Boredom and creativity work together to give them this opportunity. When facing long periods of free time, kids are pretty much forced to put on their thinking caps and come up with interesting ways to spend their time. Creativity doesn’t always come naturally; some kids need help sparking their imagination. If your child seems stumped, help get their minds turning by gently suggesting some activities they could try out. Here are some fun summer ideas to start with.
Boredom Teaches Kids to Tolerate Tedium
None of us like being uncomfortable, but learning to tolerate less-than-ideal circumstances is an important part your child’s development. Letting your kids experience boredom exposes them to mundane situations early, ultimately helping them develop the skills necessary to persevere through discomfort as they get older.
As your kids grow up and experience the realities of adult life (waiting in line at the DMV, Costco lines, being on hold for long periods of time) they’ll be grateful that they learned how to deal with boring, tedious situations.
Boredom Prepares Kids to Plan
To avoid boredom, many of us avoid having long stretches of free time by making plans. Kids work much in the same way: if you let them know that they’re going to have a few hours of free time, they may start thinking in advance and plan how they’d like to spend it.
Boredom Helps Kids Develop a Growth Mindset
So we now know how boredom can help kids be more creative, but did you know that this increase in imagination can also help children develop a growth mindset? This is one more of the ways that boredom is good for the brain!
Boredom inspires kids to develop a growth mindset. When kids have to figure out how to fill their time on their own, they begin to realize that they have the power to make change happen. Rather than complain or retreat into their phone, a child with a growth mindset knows that boredom is not permanent—they simply need to entertain themselves!
Boredom Benefits Include Ignition of Independence
One of a parent’s primary jobs is to prepare their children for adulthood, and a big part of this is encouraging them to develop a strong sense of independence. Letting kids sit with boredom may motivate them to think, plan, and explore ideas independently as they search for a way to alleviate their boredom. In the process, they discover what motivates them and their likes and dislikes by how they decide to fill their time.
Teaching kids to be independent has a big benefit for parents and caregivers. You suddenly have free time as you do not have to be in charge of keeping your kids entertained. This can lead to improved mental health and well being! (The saying “happy mom, happy home” is very true!)
Allows Room for Mindfulness
When life is boring, it’s usually because there’s nothing stimulating happening—and this can be a good thing. Between homework, after-school activities, and play dates with friends, kids are busy individuals. While kids’ brains need stimulation, too much can lead to stress and anxiety. Like all of us, children need time to rest and recharge their batteries, and periods of boredom make this much-needed downtime possible. The old saying that more is not always better is very true!
Reap the Benefits of Boredom and Let Your Kids be Bored
At its worst, boredom is tedious, tiresome, and time-consuming. However, at its best, boredom can be a valuable tool that benefits kids and teaches them important life skills. Helping your children view boredom as an opportunity to do something will benefit all. Kids will try new activities, develop better frustration tolerance, learn how to take initiative and entertain themselves, acquire planning strategies and problem-solving skills, build perseverance, increase confidence and get to know themselves better. Searching for ways to fill their time helps build creativity, while simultaneously developing a growth mindset and independence.
So… when it reaches that point of summer break where your kids are constantly complaining about being bored, resist the urge to fill their time with plans and activities. Instead, just let them be bored. Who knows? They might surprise themselves by finding out how fun boredom can be! Plus, you’ll hear fewer complaints and have more time to yourself. The next time your child says, “I’m bored,” respond with, “That’s great! I can’t wait to see what you’ll do!”