July 6th - Are We Bored Yet?

How's the summer so far?  It has been lovely here in pure Michigan!  I'm sure the holiday weekend has been filled with family and friends.  As we move along, however, how many times have the summer vacationers chimed in with 'Mom, I'm bored'?  Once a week?  Once a day?  Once an hour?  I can only imagine a worst case scenario where you don't hear from them at all simply because they are plugged in to electronic devices all day, preoccupied with the current (and many) social media opportunities.  Personally, I don't find these 'social' media sites the best place for youth socialization skills to develop.

Boredom is ok.  You are a parent, and unless it is your chosen profession, not an entertainment provider for your children.  However, it is a great responsibility to help foster imagination.  We need to encourage and develop imagination.  When the kids are bored, given them 'things' to work with that they have never (or rarely) used before...and see what happens.  Household items, old toys, new toys, tools, boxes, etc...see what their imaginations create.  Cook with them, build with them, create with them.  Stop what you are doing (unplug yourself from the internet), if you can, and spend some time with them.  I think you'll be surprised, and impressed.

I've included two articles with lists of ideas for both young children and teens to overcome that summer boredom.  There's some great ideas.

For young children:  Boredom Busters for Younger Children

For teens:  Boredom Busters for Teens

Enjoy the summer - unplugged and full of new experiences.  But don't stress, leave it up to the kids to figure out what to do.

Keep it simple...and a little boring.  ♥D