"Mom, I'm bored! I have nothing to do!"
Why do we fear boredom so much? Parents are now flooding the stores, trying to buy the latest technology that will give their children "something to do." Yet, without boredom, children do not develop their own inner resources to cope with frustration.
Furthermore, boredom can be an impetus to achievement. When children are bored, they might pick up a book, or crayon & paper, versus sitting and doing nothing. But if they always have entertainment as a means of filling in the vacuum, there's no reason to look for alternatives.
I recall that, as soon as my children became "bored", I gave them a job to do. I didn't find a game or other distraction, nor did I ignore their feelings. I took their boredom as a sign that they were ready for the next step, namely, responsibility and participation in the household.
This was my solution at the time. What is yours?
Furthermore, boredom can be an impetus to achievement. When children are bored, they might pick up a book, or crayon & paper, versus sitting and doing nothing. But if they always have entertainment as a means of filling in the vacuum, there's no reason to look for alternatives.
I recall that, as soon as my children became "bored", I gave them a job to do. I didn't find a game or other distraction, nor did I ignore their feelings. I took their boredom as a sign that they were ready for the next step, namely, responsibility and participation in the household.
This was my solution at the time. What is yours?
posted by Dr. Spiegel at
11:28 AM
1 Comments:
My parents used to tell me to go knock my head against the wall if you have nothing to do. That made me look for something to do myself.
By
Anonymous, at Saturday, December 02, 2006
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