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October 13, 2020

Boredom and Your Children

How many times have you heard your child say “I’m bored”? Sometimes, being bored is a good thing. But other times — especially when your children are spending more time cooped up inside — boredom can be, well, boring. 

At Just For Kids in Chicago, we know that a certain amount of boredom can be a great way to teach children patience, but there are also ways to keep children engaged while they’re at home or inside. 

Learn more about boredom and your children. Then, if you’re searching for a before and after school program where you children will be engaged and safe while they’re not in school, enroll them at Just For Kids today! 

Is Boredom Good? 

With shifts to online or hybrid learning options, along with children spending more time indoors and less time playing with their peers, some children might be struggling with boredom. In some ways, boredom can be good for children as it can teach them different things like: 

  • How to use their creativity and imagination
  • Problem-solving skills as they have to rely on themselves when they feel bored
  • How to build relationships with their peers or those around them
  • To communicate what they’re feeling at that moment 

But when they’re bored because they have more free time than usual, or when that boredom isn’t productive, there are ways to keep children engaged and not bored. 

Cooking as a Family

How involved is your entire family in cooking? Bring your children into the kitchen before dinner and have them help you. Ask them what meals they’d like to try cooking in the future so they feel like they have a say in their dinner. 

Growing Their Skills

When children are in school, they are focused on developing and expanding their skills to help them be successful in school and beyond. Whether your child is excelling in school or struggling with certain skills or subjects, encourage them to work on those skills with additional activities or problems. 

Reading a Book

Even just spending 20 minutes a day reading a book can keep your children from getting bored — and learn how to cope with downtime. Take them to the public library or have them find a new book series they’re eager to read to keep them invested in their reading time. 

Learning Something New

Have you challenged your child to learn about something new? While your child might have already found subjects or hobbies they are interested in, it’s never too late to find something else they love. Encourage them to take some time when they’re bored researching or reading about something new. Or see if they can find a new experiment that might be fun to try at home. 

Staying Active 

When your child says they’re bored, they might just need to get up and get moving. If they’re stuck inside, have them turn on their favorite music and dance. Or send them outside or to the park for some physical activity. That will get their mind and muscles working, and help them find something healthy to do when they’re bored.

Try Our Before and After School Programs Today!

We hope that this post helps you better understand how boredom affects your children — and how you can keep them active and engaged. If you’re looking for an opportunity for children to get encouragement and enrichment outside of school, enroll them in our before and after school programs at Just For Kids in Chicago. 

Have you read through our blog? Our blog is a great way to learn more about our programs and get more tips and advice for keeping your kids motivated and engaged with what they’re learning: