Why Boredom Is Good!

The research is in! It actually helps kids to have more free time.

- Hazel Vincent De Paul & Christopher Ong Ujine

When we were growing up, complaints of “I’m bored!” were greeted with “Read a book!” or “Clean your room!” Our parents expected us to amuse ourselves, and we did. Today’s children have so much more to ward off boredom, yet still whine that they are bored.

Don’t View it as a Problem

Child experts believe that children don’t get bored unless they have been conditioned to require constant external stimulation and entertainment. Louise Favaro, Head of Student Services at Chatsworth International School, agrees. “When a child expresses boredom to the parent, it is viewed as a problem that needs to be fixed. Parents often fall into the trap of trying to appease their child’s every need, so when it comes to boredom, their response is to jump in and try to rescue the child from it.”

These parents, who feel responsible when their children are bored, tend to respond by giving them more structured activities. But research indicates that this is actually counterproductive. A never-ending diet of activities is as exhausting for children as it is for parents. Children need downtime to allow them to make sense of what they have learnt and experienced.