Let Your Child Be Bored

Let Your Child Be Bored
In the moments of boredom, a child learns a new and critical kind of resourcefulness.Tatyana Soares/Shutterstock
Nancy Colier
Updated:

The most common question I get in my talks to parents around the country is this: What should I do when my kid says he’s bored?

Recently, one mom told me that her son is always asking her: “What should I do next? I’m bored.” This mom, like many parents these days, feels a tremendous pressure to occupy her son’s every moment—to immediately get rid of his boredom and provide activities to quell his discomfort.
Nancy Colier
Nancy Colier
Nancy Colier is a psychotherapist, interfaith minister, thought leader, public speaker, and the author of "Can't Stop Thinking: How to Let Go of Anxiety and Free Yourself from Obsessive Rumination,” “The Power of Off,” and the recently released “The Emotionally Exhausted Woman: Why You’re Depleted and How to Get What You Need” (November, 2022.)
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