Why Your Kids Should be Bored This Summer (According to Psychologists)

Photo: Martin Thomas via Flickr

Parents, stop whatever fun activities you thought you needed to do with your kiddos this summer. Psychologists are giving you a break, and recommend that your little ones get bored this season.

Psychologists and child development experts suggest that over-scheduling children during the summer is unnecessary and could ultimately keep kids from from discovering what truly interests them. Lyn Fry, a child psychologist in London with a focus on education, says, “if parents spend all their time filling up their child’s spare time, then the child’s never going to learn to do this for themselves.”

Dr. Teresa Belton, visiting fellow at the University of East Anglia with a focus on the connection between boredom and imagination, told the BBC that boredom is crucial for developing “internal stimulus,” which then allows true creativity.

So what should we do? Nothing?

Experts suggest on working with their children, and make a simple summer bucket list. The activities can be ride a bike, take some pictures, learn a new card game, etc.

Then, when your child (inevitably) comes to you whining, tell them to look at the list and pick something.

Lyn Fry says, “I think children need to learn how to be bored in order to motivate themselves to get things done. Being bored is a way to make children self-reliant.”

Do you think this is true? Let us know in the comments below!

H/T: Quartz