to think a bit of boredom isn't a bad thing?

[Kendodd]

Talking to other parents and child carers it seems to be a very bad thing, they have to be stimulated all the time or they're not learning. Why should we constantly entertain our children? If they are bored they are forced to use their imagination, be resourceful, find something to do. And if they can't do that, then tough, I'm bored sometimes, it's not the end of the world and I'm a parent not a red coat.

I know I won't win any mother of the year competitions but I'm not planing on entering any, flame me.

I can't keep my 2 entertained all the time it is impossible, and they do get bored.

I don't think them being bored sometimes is the end of the world, although they do seem to nag me more when they are bored!

So I do try and get them playing so they not hanging off my legs asking what they can do and where they can go.They just seem to have so much energy all the time

Learning to entertain oneself with what is readily available is a good thing imo. Boredom can be overcome by being distracted, interested in other people and having demands made upon you. Ergo, children learn by example and will try anything, given the opportunity, be it cooking, outdoor activity, the more adventuress the better.

So, boredom is not a bad thing, it's an opportunity.

I don't think children should be bored, nor do I think they should be constantly entertained. You have to provide them with the wherewithal for them to entertain themselves, ensuring that the greatest part of that entertainment has some educational value (ie not trash TV).

YANBU.

My get bored, grump around for a bit and whinge at me, get told off then go off and do something interesting. Today they threw cushions down the stairs for ages.

YANBU... I don't remember signing up to be a children's entertainer either. There's only so many kids' games you can play and jolly cakes you can bake before your brain fries. My friend who is what I call a 'Professional Mother'... playdates, extra-curricular activities, all waking hours time-slots filled with marvellously creative stuff ... says her children get positively fidgety if they have a spare half hour with nothing on the agenda. Not sure that's a good thing.

YANBU....I totally agree with OP. Being bored sometimes is just a part of life. I don't think it's my job to constantly entertain my 3.5 year old. I take him to some activities, but just as much he plays at home. maybe sometimes he is bored....but he doesn't know what bored is really. Kids (and adults) don't need constant stimulation

OP - here here!! couldn't have put it better myself. i think that alot of children are far too over endulged. one of my friends seriously over engulges her dd and as a result her dd is spoilt and i think quite precocious. she has an after school activity pretty much every night of the week, no kidding. i loved my childhood and was quite bored alot of the time. i used to go and play thus using my imagination. i would observe with ie my friends dd that despite having a large garden full of loads of things ie climbing frame etc she rarely played with them and seemed to have more fun playing with things that weren't toys ie wrapping paper/boxes, whatever. i don't do child centred parenting, each to their own though

I totally agree with you OP. Life is sometimes dull and it's a useful skill to be able to entertain oneself.

I personally don't get why people think their kids need to be stimulated all day long. It's not necessary and kids need to learn to be resourceful and amuse themselves with their own games or independent play.

"I don't think children should be bored"

Does that mean they shouldn't be bored? and if so why not?

There was an item about this on the today program a few months back. An expert was saying that periods of boredom are very important for a child's brain development.

We over indulge our kids today and in many cases over stimulate them. they need time to just 'be', to go off and create using their own minds, to think, to imagine. so, so important.

I don't think children should be bored - I think they should be able to self-stimulate when they are not being entertained (but you have to give them the opportunity to self-stimulate eg lots of easy to access toys, craft stuff, music, space to run about).

In fact, I would go further and say- a bit of boredom is a good thing.

Absolutely, we all need to time to think and reflect. Children often do this through play - my DD uses her dolls' house to enact scenes and puts on voices for all the dolls in a sort of domestic drama!

What TheSydenhamSet said, word for word.

I don't think children should be really bored - often leads to serious mental health issues.

I agree with you OP!

As for "I don't think children should be really bored - often leads to serious mental health issues" -

What serious mental health issues Bonsoir?

I don't know whether you have teens yet... but all the teens we know with serious mental health problems (anorexia, drugs, suicide) have basically been bored stupid, confined to schools/environments that were way beyond their capabilities. They needed more freedom to explore (not more structure, that's for sure).

not beyond, beneath

Rubbish!!

Does it?

Maybe they never had the chance to be bored as young children and so never learnt to cope?

If most of you agree why am I ridiculed for saying this at playgroup?

Mostly they have been bored forever, it would appear! Seriously, boredom is a really big issue for children's depression and serious teen mental health issues - all the parents we know whose teens have gone through this got their wake-up call about the boredom issue and how it had permeated their children's lives when things started to go badly wrong.