Let them be bored!!!

So….. I read an article saying it is OK for your kids to be bored.  If you want to read.. Click HERE for the link.

The line that I found intriguing was

• Make them wait!!! It is ok to have “I am bored“ time – this is the first step to creativity

So what does that mean… Being bored???  Does it mean for them to sit and do nothing??  Well kinda??  I think it means, not having the TV on or having activities planned out or even actually playing with your kids, but having them find something to entertain themselves ALL on their own.

Not giving them instructions for what to do.. but having them find something to do on their own.

Yes, it is great to play with my kids, to have planned activities, and to watch a little TV, but I am learning my kids need to use their minds to find their  own way.  To find what they really like to do and NOT to do.

So I will let them be bored.

So I did that today.  On a lazy Sunday, I paused Curious George, so the kids could help me cook.  Which they do often, but they couldn’t believe I didn’t let them finish it.  I too couldn’t believe that I had got it in their minds that they should expect to finish a TV show..

Parenting fail #1.

No more..  We need to put shoes on after Paw Patrol is over.

No more… We need to eat after Sesame Street is over.

No more…  We need to go uptown after Curious George.

It will be come… We need to put shoes on..  You will have to wait and finish it later..

So today..  Curious George is sitting on pause.  I told the kids to go find something to play.

“Come play with me MOM”…  “Mom can we finish Curious George”…. “Mom I don’t want to play.  Mom come play.”…..

Well today… they found things to do on their own…. they are playing Hi Ho Cherrios together… with out me…  Working and playing well together…

So it isn’t easy getting everything as a parent right.. I would go crazy trying…  but raising kids to become Non crazy adults is truly challenging..

So I will let them be bored… and only hope they find “good” things to do during that time.