Why a Little Unscheduled Time Can Be Beneficial

Why a Little Unscheduled Time Can Be Beneficial

Boredom can be uncomfortable, but time without ready-made entertainment can spark children’s ideas and help them practise patience.

It’s natural to want to help a child pass the time, but an apparently empty moment doesn’t have to stay that way. When they don’t have to follow someone else’s schedule straight away, they can start noticing what’s around them, explore a question of their own or return to a game they’d put aside. That doesn’t mean every child will know how to entertain themselves or that adults shouldn’t help. It’s more about making sure our help doesn’t get ahead of their own initiative.

Interested in this topic? Read more: Let the kids be bored: The key to developing self-control and personality in the summer Want to find out where you stand personally? Take a short test at the end of the page and gain a better understanding.

How does this apply to you? Choose the answers that describe you best:

Imagine that your child lies under a tree all day, staring at the sky. What does this idea evoke in you first?

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When your child says, "I'm bored," how do you usually respond?

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If you had to define boredom, what would come closest to your interpretation?

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The child started building with old boards and mud by themselves. You...

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Imagine a child who has no extracurricular activities or schedule throughout the summer. What do you think will come of that?

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What type of activity enriched you the most in your childhood?

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What does "let a child be bored" mean to you?

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Imagine your child comes up with a completely nonsensical game. Your first reaction?

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When a child is "loafing around" but is content, what does that trigger in you?

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If you could remember one summer moment from your childhood that shaped you...

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Summer as a gift for a child's personality – if we let them get bored.

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