With the arrival of the holidays, and the break from many responsibilities such as school or institute, children have much more free time. And with all that free time, sometimes they don’t know what to do , as if they always have to be doing “something” (when they don’t have to).
And it is a reality; Children, in general, find it difficult to tolerate boredom, because they are normally used to doing a thousand things (extracurricular activities, play and leisure time, homework, school, etc.).
And if we add to that the current abuse of new technologies (which means that many children are used to always being stimulated), intolerance to this sensation increases.
However, getting bored also has its advantages! And we can take advantage of this. How to manage the situation with children who are bored in summer ? Stay if you want to find out.
Children who are bored on vacation: possible causes
That children get bored on vacation at certain times is something totally normal, and more depending on what type of children, because there are those who need to be always active , who are not used to “doing nothing”, who need greater stimulation. ..
So it is a common thing. Thus, among the most frequent causes of this boredom are:
- Difficulties in distracting oneself autonomously.
- Intolerance to moments of “doing nothing”.
- The nervousness .
- The greatest free time of children in summer.
- Being used to an excess of technology.
- Excessive organization of the child’s time.
Whatever the cause, it is important that, on the one hand, children learn to be bored; that they tolerate that boredom and that they understand that nothing happens for not having fun or doing active things all the time.
And on the other, that in some of those moments of boredom (not in all), they learn to find their own resources to distract themselves (which will help us cultivate their autonomy).
Benefits of being bored for children
As we said, being bored has its benefits! To begin with, when children are bored as children, they are actually training that tolerance for boredom, a boredom that they will experience many more times when they are older. So, everything is learning.
And on the other hand, we know that getting bored can help them:
- Spark your creativity and imagination.
- Cultivate patience.
- Think about future activities, goals and objectives…
- Promote their self-knowledge (discovering other facets of themselves, different from when they are having fun).
How to take advantage of that boredom?
We leave you some ideas to take advantage of those moments of boredom (which, let’s remember, do not always have to be “filled” with things to do):
Find with them the benefits of being bored
It’s important for kids to understand that being bored is “okay,” that there’s nothing wrong with it. And above all, tolerate that feeling.
For this, an idea that we propose is that we can make a list with them with the good things that getting bored has ; for example, “have more time to rest”, “have time to think about the things I want to do”…
Give them ideas on what they can do
We can cultivate their autonomy when it comes to managing that boredom but at the same time, giving them a cable. We can give them ideas of things to do when “there’s nothing to do.”
For example, if we are in a campsite; go to look for flowers and make a bouquet, meet other children, go to the pool, lie in the hammock and listen to the sound of nature, read…
Share with them our activities
We can also involve them in our activities; for example, if we are cooking, tidying the house, if we have to go shopping, or even if we are simply resting. The idea is to find a way in which they can collaborate , letting them participate in our tasks.
propose relaxation
In the face of boredom, a very good option is to offer our children relaxation exercises (or moments to encourage disconnection). For example, play relaxing music, draw a quiet picture, practice yoga for children, etc.
Ask them: what would you do if you weren’t getting bored?
It is a good way to take advantage of those moments of boredom and awaken the creativity of children. Through this question, we are indirectly making them think of plans , activities and proposals of things that they would like to do when they can (perhaps in those moments of boredom they cannot carry them out).
Photos | Cover (Depositphotos)
