‘I refuse to entertain my children during the summer holidays’
Blogger Elizabeth Broadbent is fine with her kids being bored during the summer holidays. “It’s not my job to entertain them,” she writes.
Elizabeth does not have this vision from a stranger, because her mother used to think exactly the same. “If you’re bored, I’ve got some tasks for you,” she would say. And yes, of course we knew she meant cleaning tasks.’
“Bored is bad?”
It’s not that the blogger ignores her kids, she doesn’t amuse them – that’s another story. ‘Nowadays children’s agendas are filled to the brim. Watching TV, going to the swimming pool, the zoo and going to summer camp: boredom is bad, they think.’
Also read: ‘Do fun things with your child all summer? That’s just not possible’
Creativity
Elizabeth thinks that’s nonsense. She thinks, and scientific research shows that boredom is actually good for children. ‘As a child you are forced to be creative and do something that you normally wouldn’t do so quickly. Playing in the garden, reading to each other, drawing or painting. And that while I’m busy doing my own thing – win-win.’
‘A lot of nothing’
“So, kids,” she continues. ‘Get ready for a busy summer filled with a lot of nothing. Perhaps digging a hole in the garden or catching toads. And oh, find some crayons.’
Source: Scary Mommy
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