Boredom: Three Reasons Why You Should Let Your Child be Bored this Summer

We have all heard it from our children, especially during summer break: “I’m soooooo bored.” And while it may be frustrating to hear or you may want to quickly offer solutions, sometimes it is better to just let your child be bored. Boredom has many benefits and here are a few of them.

1.     Boredom fosters creative imagination and problem-solving skills.

Boredom often occurs when we are in unchallenging, monotonous, or repetitive situations. Because it’s an uncomfortable state in which we are not content, it pushes us to change course and engage in a more satisfying activity. When children are bored, and have to sit with it, the boredom motivates them to get creative. They must problem-solve to come up with an activity that will interest them. Given the opportunity, a child’s natural curiosity will take over and they can explore their interests. We can support this curiosity by having supplies on hand, such as cardboard boxes, glue, scissors, markers, or whatever else that allows your child to be creative.

2.     Boredom boosts self-esteem and builds confidence.

When a child is bored and finds a way to occupy themself, this reinforces that they can manage their internal states. This builds their confidence when they need to manage more challenging emotions in the future. Additionally, when a child is given the opportunity to create something or to try something new, it gives their self-esteem a boost. Imagine a child creating a robot on their own from a cardboard box and some other basic materials. The child is going to feel good not only about what was created, but also about overcoming their boredom and doing it themselves.

3.     Boredom helps build perseverance and resiliency.

Let’s be honest. Your child may not always be willing to find solutions to their boredom, and even when they do, they may fail in one way or another. But that’s okay. We need children to learn how to keep trying, even when things are hard. When a child can’t seem to figure out what to do, it may be helpful to give them some choices or an open-ended task. You’re still giving them the opportunity to try something on their own without deciding everything for them. We also need to help children embrace failure. An activity or project might not go as planned, but encourage your child to try again and not give up. Failing is part of life and children need to know how to deal with failure when it happens.

While boredom can be beneficial, we always want to strive for balance. Allow your children to have unstructured free time, but it’s also beneficial for your child to engage in more structured activities, including those that involve the entire family. Check out this summer bucket list for some ideas and see how many you and your kids can complete this summer!