Why you Should Let Your Child be bored this spring break

“I’m bored.”

Boredom, though uncomfortable for most people, is an emotion our kids and teens frequently complain about. Screen time typically helps distract from this feeling, but it can encourage them to avoid confronting the discomfort of boredom.

Not all families are fortunate enough to go on vacations this spring break, so many families are staying home. While spring break trips can provide children with great experiences and memories, allowing your child to experience boredom at home during spring break also has its benefits.

Boredom Opens Opportunities for Creativity

Boredom allows your child to tap into their imagination and creativity for entertainment. Instead of relying on external stimuli (like screens), your child is empowered to find activities they want to do. Whether it’s drawing, cooking, building a fort, or playing with their toys, allowing your child to be bored gives them the chance to discover activities they enjoy and can return to in the future.

Boredom Develops Problem-Solving Skills

Is your child going to be excited about being bored? Probably not. There will likely be complaining, whining, and requests for you to suggest something to do. However, they will often respond “no” to most suggestions, which is completely normal. Instead of providing solutions immediately, let them figure out what they want to do next.

While it's natural for children to want to escape boredom, this challenge encourages them to come up with their own solutions. Allowing your child to independently figure out an activity can strengthen their problem-solving skills. They will try different ideas, discover what they enjoy, and build a mental toolbox for future moments of boredom.

Boredom Develops Independence

Spending quality time with your children is an important part of their development and a key factor in the parent-child relationship. However, kids who are highly uncomfortable with being bored may seek constant adult attention to entertain them.

That said, if your child is asking to spend time with you, it’s important to engage with them. Be sure to check in with your child to see how they’re feeling and spend time with them when possible.

For parents who need to work or tend to other responsibilities, allowing your child to be bored can teach them how to be independent. There will be times when they are on their own, and boredom can help them develop the skills to stay self-sufficient. This means you can take a much-needed break while giving your child the chance to grow in independence.

Boredom Allows for Kids to Be Present with Themselves

Feeling bored provides an opportunity for your child to reflect on why they dislike it. How does it feel in their body? How does boredom affect their thoughts? What physical sensations arise when they’re bored?

By encouraging your child to ask themselves these questions, they’ll begin to develop emotional self-regulation skills. Boredom invites them to pause and check in with their emotions, helping them connect with their feelings and build emotional intelligence.

Boredom Allows Kids to Develop Resilience

As your children grow, there will be plenty of scenarios where they’ll have to be okay with being bored. Whether it’s in class, at an assembly, during a church service, or at a family function, it’s important for your child to know how to persevere without relying on screens to get through it.

Being able to tolerate boredom is a necessary skill that children need to develop. Teach your child that it’s okay to feel bored, and allow them to build the coping skills they’ll need to self-regulate in the future.

Being bored at home offers a controlled environment where children can develop these skills, so they’re better prepared to handle boredom in other situations outside the home.

Having Conversations with Your Child About Boredom

Having open conversations with your child about boredom is essential. Explain the benefits of boredom and what you hope they’ll gain from unstructured time. These conversations provide an opportunity to explore the emotion of boredom together, helping to remove the stigma surrounding it and showing that it’s not something to fear, but rather something to learn from.