Dealing with Boredom: Covid-19 Coping Series
I'm Bored
It's a phrase currently echoed throughout the land during these trying times: "I'm bored."
If you are a parent who is trying to work from home with the kids underfoot, trying to keep everyone healthy, maintaining the recommended social distance, encouraging coping and peace within the family...all while keeping up with your regular routine, my hat's off to you. It's a challenge and I know you are doing the best you can possibly do.
The good news is: You are NOT alone. We are all in good company. And we all, apparently, have some bored kids! Boredom ranked number two as a concern on the parent survey our readers responded to just about a week ago. And for good reason.
Boredom Fallout
Most parents can attest to the fact that boredom can lead to secondary issues, like sibling rivalry and a whole host of other normal (but often undesirable) childhood behaviors, like whining, sassing, tantrums, etc.
While boredom, in and of itself has been shown to foster creativity in kids (and us), and is not the enemy, it has been widely touted as such. The truth is, boredom is NOT the enemy. Lack of problem solving and ingenuity may be, though. Boredom can help kids exercise their imagination muscle, though we might need to give them some support and guidance in this effort.
Below, you'll find a few tips that can get you started!
Boredom Busters
There are hundreds of thousands of posts and articles available online about activities and ideas to keep kids busy. It's a testament to the fact that this is a common issue for kids...and problem point for most parents of said children. We'll share some links with ideas below.
1. The Ball's In Their Court
The next time your child says, "I'm bored," don't jump in with a long list of things they can do to occupy their time. No-siree! Chances are, they will groan and grunt at your suggestions, further stating, "That's booooring!"
Am I right?
So, let's put the ball back in our kids' court, and help them build some skills while we're at it.
Let's try a new response:
Kid: "I'm bored."
Parent: "What do you plan to do about that?"
Then, wait it out. Your job is not to swoop in and fix every uncomfortable feeling your child has. It's to guide them to find solutions, in a loving and empathetic manner. In so doing, you are gifting them with a skill that will last a lifetime.
2. Teach Problem Solving and Encourage New Ways of Thinking
Let's allow our kids to take ownership of their own boredom and foster a sense of problem-solving, a growth mindset and a can-do attitude. We can do that by challenging them to create lists of things that they can do when they feel bored. Creating their own lists help them stretch their imaginations and build more "mental muscle" in the creativity department. It also gives them more "buy in"
To that end, we've created a set of printables that allows kids to create their own their own menu of things they'd like to do. The printables come in full color or black and white...choose whichever style makes most sense for you.
Get your free printables HERE.
Allow your child to generate as many ideas as they can, and if a little help is needed, chime in with some supportive ideas. Don't be too fast to offer suggestions, though. Remember, we are trying to give children an opportunity to problem solve and think things through.
If you need some ideas to round out your child's and your ideas, we have hundreds of curated activities for kids from around the web. Find craftivities HERE and free printables HERE.
If you have some fun ideas to share, please do so in the comments!
Want to see the rest of the series? Posts will be linked below, as they become available.
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COVID-19 and Coping: The Series
Here is where we'll share links to the latest posts, as they become available. You may wish to bookmark this page, as the list will grow over time, in response to our reader's needs:
Kids Questions: Answering Kids Questions in Uncertain Times
Sanity Savers for Parents: How to Keep Your Sanity During Challenging Times
Fostering Hope: Keeping Hope Alive During Challenging Times
Connection: Keeping in Touch with Grandparents When You Can't Be Together
Be well,
Wendy Young, LMSW, BCD, is the founder of Kidlutions and co-author of BLOOM: 50 Things to Say, Think and Do with Anxious, Angry and Over-the-Top Kids, co-creator of BLOOM Brainsmarts, and creator of The Joyful Parent. She is the author of numerous workbooks and resources to help from the preschool through the teen years.
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