Bored Kids? Beat Summer Boredom Before It Strikes.

Are you crying?  There's no crying in baseball.  (A League of Their Own)

It's official: summer vacation has begun!  At the onset of summer my children embrace their newfound freedom with a passion that borders insanity.  Based on summers past, though, I've learned that this euphoria lasts for roughly one week -- maybe two -- before we collectively fall apart like anchorless ships adrift in the vast expanse of endless unscheduled days.

The trick, I sense, is to insert enough routine to preserve sanity while still remaining at ease with the overarching looseness.  As a preemptive strike, I've channeled my inner Tom Hanks so I'm ready when my kids appear to be floundering and unable to figure out what to do with themselves: "Are you bored?  There's no boredom in summer!"

Let's remember this: If we parents refuse to supply a constant stream of entertainment when our kids show signs of boredom, we're doing them a huge service.  Boredom, when rightly channeled, forces kids to be creative, brainstorm activities besides staring into a screen, discover new things, and tap into the resources around them.

Essentially, summer is only as boring as they are.

I've even posted an Anti-Boredom reminder on our refrigerator, one that I originally saw posted on Facebook and then searched to discover its origins on Pinterest here.  BORED?


Be Creative.  Outside Play.  Read a Book.  Exercise.  Do Helpful Things.  These five tips are surprisingly good for parents and kids alike.

Bored?  Are you bored?  Come on, now.  There's no boredom in summer.

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2 comments

  1. LOVE it!!! Day TWO, and one of my kids complained of being bored. Yeah... Usually it starts later in the summer, but the kid was SO inundated with activities that last week of school, he just didn't know how to adjust to the tempo of the new rhythm.

    There's definitely an adjustment to the transition.

    I'm ALL about this message... and the structure that is loose but enough to keep us going in a steady stream of activity/rest/boredom...exactly!

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  2. Love the fridge reminder. May have to recreate that for my fridge even though only my oldest could read it. This is my first summer vacation as a parent. My oldest just finished kindergarten. It's an 11 week vacation! Yikes.
    Angela @ Stepping into Motherhood

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