The Gift of Being Bored
The Gift of Being Bored
Can your kids still hear the quiet?
Boredom isn’t wasted time — it’s where creativity begins.
On a road trip to the mall in the backseat of my grandparents’ car, I would imagine myself riding a dirt bike alongside the road—jumping creeks, climbing hills, and racing our car while twisting the throttle. I’d put my hand out the window, experimenting with the wind, trying to find just the right angle to make my hand lift without tearing my arm off.
On summer days, I’d wander through the fields behind our house searching for bugs, creatures, and sticks that could double as swords before lying in the grass to find shapes and stories in the clouds.
During long math classes, I’d daydream about going home to take apart my bike, just to see how it worked—and how I could make it faster.
My boredom fueled curiosity, creativity, and independence. I was lucky to grow up in a time when boredom wasn’t something to avoid; it was something that helped me grow.
Today, I worry we’ve lost that space.
Our kids move from one class, activity, or app to the next. The quiet moments between are filled instantly with screens, notifications, and noise. When the phone disappears for just three seconds, we hear, “I’m bored.” “This is boring.”
But boredom isn’t the enemy — it’s the space where imagination is born. It’s the quiet pause between moments when ideas have room to stretch their legs. It’s where kids invent new games out of nothing, where stories begin to take shape, where curiosity whispers, “What if?”
When the noise stops, the mind finally starts. In that silence, a stick becomes a sword, a cardboard box becomes a spaceship, a daydream becomes the spark of something real. Boredom invites kids to explore the corners of their own minds — to solve problems, make mistakes, and discover that the world doesn’t always need to entertain them to be meaningful.
If we fill every gap in their day with screens and structure, we crowd out the chance for creativity to breathe. Boredom is the open field where imagination runs free — and when we protect that space, we’re giving our kids back something technology can’t: the joy of discovery.
The Child Mind Institute reminds us that boredom helps children develop creativity, independence, emotional regulation, and problem-solving skills. When kids are given unstructured time, their brains learn to engage, imagine, and create — all of which build confidence and resilience.
What parents can start today
- Schedule quiet time. Even 15 minutes a day without screens or background noise helps reset attention and creativity.
- Resist rescuing boredom. When your child says “I’m bored,” let them figure it out. That discomfort is where imagination starts.
- Create space for curiosity. Keep art supplies, building tools, or notebooks easily available. Unstructured time leads to creative play.
- Model it yourself. Read, sit outside, or take a walk without your phone. Kids learn what peace looks like by watching you.
These simple habits encourage kids to think deeply, feel comfortable with stillness, and discover what interests them beyond a screen.
Sometimes I miss those quiet afternoons — chasing clouds, tinkering with bikes, letting my imagination wander. Our kids deserve that same gift of stillness. Let’s bring back boredom, not as punishment, but as permission — permission to wonder, to imagine, and to grow into thoughtful, creative human beings.
Click here to read more: The Benefits of Boredom – Child Mind Institute
Stay connected,
– Ryan