The joy in boredom
“I’m board!”
I finally heard this term from our 4 year old daughter for the first time recently and thought to myself “How?”. We are always busy with a project or a science experiment. Both parents are actively engaging with her, inviting her to join in on whatever project we are doing ourselves and keeping up with the majority of her needs and demands. How on earth can she be board and where did she even learn that term? Is that something all children just inherently learn and know for themselves? Even though this term can be triggering in many ways and can even come across as annoying, boredom is actually an essential part of building brain endurance and emotional regulation!
Why being bored is encouraged?
Boredom gets you thinking: When your child says they are bored, its a perfect opportunity for them to engage with their entire brain. According to James Danckert, a cognitive neuroscientist, the network in the brain associated with boredom is thought to be “associated with a range of things from mind-wandering and day-dreaming, to nostalgic reverie and planning for the future.” This means your childs mind is clear and has time to think about their desires, dreams and accomplishments. We recommend giving them a short list of things to think about to engage their brain.
Boredom encourages creativity: “Well, what is something you enjoy doing?”. Often times, just a simple question can spark a light bulb in their brain to engage in something creative. Without having a pre-defined activity in mind, it allows a child to come up with some ideas completly of their own accord. Our daughter decided she wanted to build an airplane costume out of a cardboard box and she had the skills to pull most of it off on her own (Which is a huge bonus when you’re a busy parent!) She cut and colored the box the best she could and even made herself a seatbelt out of construction paper. I was very proud to see her creativity come out after only moments ago being struck with the case of boredom!
Boredom makes you engage with the world: When my kids are bored, I often don’t let them watch a television show. I know that when I’m in front of a screen too long it can feel like part of my brain goes numb. Sometimes, boredom just gets you to sit next to a window and notice things from the world you never noticed before. I tell my kids to watch the outside TV for awhile and to let me know of their discoveries. Sometimes this results in seeing a bird picking up a worm for its dinner or noticing the change in color of the leaves. You can experience this new world with the, by asking questions or sitting with them in the quiet for some time. This may also result in some really interesting conversations!
Overall, boredom is a feeling we all experience from time to time and it can be difficult to know what to do in those moments. We have the opportunity to help children experience boredom in a new light by helping them access that part of their brain. As preschool providers, boredom isn’t something to be afraid of or to dismiss, its a moment in time where a child’s brain is ready for learning and discovery!