Help! I’m Bored
School is finally finished for the year and summer has arrived! What a joy; unless you are the young person who suddenly has time on his hands and haven’t a clue what to do with it. Let’s face it, the last nine months, Monday through Friday, were planned with specific scheduling. Now it’s free time and for some reason there isn’t one thing he can think to do that’s the least bit entertaining or exciting. Invariably, we see our children reach for the TV remote or for a video game just to pass the time away!
This scenario is sadly, typical of many homes across the nation, and not just for young folks. Many adults, especially at the end of the day, after working eight hours, want nothing more than to sit and watch a good movie or play a game on their iPad, or phone —or do all of those at once! We’ve become a very digital world!
This conversation came up recently with a friend who dropped by. She said, “The last thing my kids wanted to say during the summer was, ‘I’m bored’. I told them in a quick hurry, ‘You don’t want to say that around me, because I have plenty I could give you to do.’ Of course they scooted off and found something to entertain themselves. The last thing they wanted was to clean out the chicken coop or hang clothes on the line to dry among a long list of other ‘chores’ that needed to be done.”
I laughed, because this is how I grew up. Often my siblings and I didn’t have time to be bored, because our parents made sure we had ‘chores’ that needed doing every day.
The Challenge of Keeping Kids Occupied
Just a few days ago, one of my grandchildren commented, she was bored. This teenager has siblings, lives in the country, loves to draw, sew and color in ‘adult coloring books’ (as opposed to a Mickey Mouse, or other Disney coloring book.) How could she be bored? I recalled about a week earlier coming across a list of options for a ‘What do I want to get into today list?’ on Pinterest (perhaps several and I merged them!) and created a document. As mentioned, this problem doesn’t only exist for young people!
Finding the document, I printed her a copy and she was fascinated. It ranged from painting rocks, to a month long photography list, making coke floats, to researching the Vikings and a whole lot in between! The list is quite lengthy!
Other articles not only give a general list of ideas, but will explain the value. This is especially important if you have a child who just needs continued reading so lessons learned won’t be forgotten or a child with a learning disability. Missing out on two and a half months of reading can be devastating come Fall when school starts up again.
Feed Minds For Strength
Our brains need constant ‘food’ to stay strong, just as our bodies do. There are plenty of options to meet the goals of continued learning, even in the most adventurous sense! Enroll in a summer reading program at your local library, take music lessons, visit a museum, or plan some field trips according to interest can be a place to begin. There might be a local historical site near you or festivals which might make learning fun!
Encourage letter writing, play dominoes, learn a new skill like sewing, cross stitch, whittling, or baking dessert. Create a treasure map, or do a Science experiment. Let your child have a corner of the family garden to plant fun flowers, herbs or other vegetation or do a jigsaw puzzle, visit a bird sanctuary or help a family who has farm animals.
These types of learning experiences are especially important to the slow learner or to a disabled child. An activity which can be interesting, often doesn’t seem to be learning! The ideas are endless and can provide a great amount of learning without even trying. This type of learning curbs the ‘loss of learning’ which often occurs over the summer months, when not actively involved in the school routine.
I find, even for myself, I am a much happier person when I can learn something everyday. It stimulates my mind and tickles the creative energies within me. In our world of digital devices that monopolize our time, being creative off these devices is not only a healthy alternative, it’s downright fun!