Page 35 - Intra Muros April Issue 2026

TODAY’S CHILD

WHY KIDS NEED BOREDOM EVEN IF IT

DRIVES PARENTS MAD

By Nicola Killops

n a community like Silver Lakes, where In structured activities, the rules are In answering those questions, children
children have access to sports facilities, cycling clear. In boredom, the rules must be practise planning, organising and
Ipaths, swimming pools, extra-murals and created. problem-solving. They gather materials.
endless digital entertainment, boredom can feel They start and abandon ideas. They
unnecessary. We live in an environment designed That shift matters. It encourages negotiate with siblings.
to offer stimulation. When a child announces children to invent games, build worlds,
boredom, the instinct is to fix it quickly. design projects and follow curiosity. They learn to manage time without
It strengthens creativity in a way that constant instruction.
Suggest something. scheduled activities cannot replicate.
Organise a playdate. These are executive functional skills.
Hand over a device. In an estate environment filled with They are foundational for academic
opportunity, children still need time success and independence later in life.
But boredom is not a problem. It is a that is undefined.
developmental tool. LEARNING TO TOLERATE
BOREDOM TEACHES INITIATIVE DISCOMFORT
UNSTRUCTURED TIME BUILDS When everything is organised for a child, Boredom is mildly uncomfortable. That
CREATIVE THINKING they never need to decide what comes discomfort is useful.
When children are not being directed or next. Boredom forces that decision.
entertained, their brains shift into a reflective When there is no immediate stimulation,
state. This is where imagination expands. It What should I do? children must tolerate restlessness. They
is where ideas connect and original thinking What could I create? must wait. They must sit with the feeling
begins. What interests me right now? of not knowing what to do.

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