Last week I heard a high school guy make the statement, "Boredom is an emergency." It was a funny line and meant to be funny. But the more I thought about that, the more I realized how true that sentiment is in our culture. Children really believe that boredom is an emergency and parents or other adults are supposed to be the first responders, the cruise directors who have an unending schedule of activities. In the minds of these kids, it is the job of other people to entertain them, to fill each moment for them. If the ball drops and boredom occurs, they have no idea how to engage themselves unless it involves electronics.
As parents today, we have dropped the ball in other ways. We have helped create this mentality in our children. With the plethora of good activities available to families, we have developed kids who need to be entertained because they do not know how to do it for themselves as we fill their days. Gone is the ability to be creative, to make one's own fun, to use imagination. And I think that puts our kids at a disadvantage.
It's my hope that my kids will be able to create their own fun beyond the age of two. I know it sounds nearly medieval now, but I want to be video game system free in our home as long as possible. I want my kids to be bored sometimes and to be able to figure out how to be entertained on their own. I will choose our activities carefully, so we have unscheduled time as a family. I'm not sure what that will always mean or look like for us, but I know that I don't want my kids saying, "Boredom is an emergency."
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