“I’m bored” If you’re a parent and its summer time and especially if it’s an Irish summer, then you’ll be pretty familiar with this expression. Being bored can seem like a disease that effects most children and can reach epidemic proportions during holiday time.
Like any disease though, we end up treating the symptoms, TV? More TV? DVD’s CD’s playstations, fast food. In fact most children are already self medicating on these drugs from an early age and have already built up an immunity.
You see, Boredom is not something that can be cured. Boredom is not a disease. We have become so afraid of our children becoming bored that can often panic. If your child comes to you saying that they are bored, then it’s as much about you the adult as it is about the child.
“I’m bored” far from being a disorder is an an invitation to a parent to come into their child’s world, an opportunity to co-create, imagine and be like a child.