Im bored.

The two little words that strike dread in the hearts of parents everywhere. Upon hearing the words Im bored, many parents seem to feel a need to get busy. They become frenetic entertainers. moving quickly through their bag of tricks to find the idea or activity that will put an end to that dreaded condition called boredom.

Why?

Why are kids bored and why do so many parents feel that its their job to fix it?

If every time the kiddos tell us they are bored we respond like a cruise ship activities director, what are we teaching them? The unspoken message may be something we do not intend such as:

1) You are entitled to be passively entertained.

2) Your uncomfortable feelings are very important and should be avoided at all costs.

3) Someone outside of you is responsible for your feelings.

But what happens when Mom or Dad is not there to entertain them? Then what? When have they had the opportunity to develop the skills they need to constructively manage boredom all on their own?

Lets face it, theres always something to do. Not all of those somethings are as appealing as going to the arcade or reading a story with Dad or Mom.

If youve been in the habit of responding to every whine with a bigger, better, more interesting activity, its going to take you some time to turn things around.

The next time one of the kids comes to you because theyre bored, why not acknowledge the feeling without trying to fix it for them. Encourage them to solve that problem for themselves. You might be pleasantly surprised.

If not, you can always offer them a dip into the family job jar as a way to find a constructive activity. Its amazing just how often the possibility of coming face to face with dust the living room can spark creativity and enthusiasm!