'When you pay attention to boredom it gets unbelievably interesting'
Jon Kabat-Zinn
It is without doubt that our children are growing up in a state of over-stimulation. Whether it is the highly structured, intensive schooling and extracurricular protocol, or whether it is the unlimited access to bottomless entertainment through screen activities. This is a relatively new experience in the context of human evolution, and we are beginning to see the results of the effects of this on the psyche of our children. There is obviously a place for structure and stimulation, but what happens when they are in an almost constant state of external stimulation and they they are pulled away from it?
Well firstly we should consider our reaction as the parent to a child complaining of boredom. We usually dive straight into trying to fulfill their apparent mental void with electronic stimulation, a new toy, perhaps a new book? Why as parents do we feel so uncomfortable with our children expressing boredom? And what are we using to replace their experience of boredom? As parents, we automatically feel a need to fill this apparent void that they are claiming to experience.
The child when initially confronted with boredom can on occasion collapse into a state of breakdown! A majority of us have witnessed this when a child is removed from incessant stimulation (this seems to be magnified in the case of screen use). The child who has been involved in a lot of mental or 'head' activity can experience a feeling of disconnect from their body and the world around them, and therefore have greater difficulty with interacting with the natural world surrounding them.
What happens when we 'touch the void of boredom' and what can unfold in these moments?
When we break the incessant over-stimulation that most or us and our children are caught in we can observe magnificence arising from the quite of their own mind. From a spiritual perspective it can be described as being able to connect or tap into a universal consciousness that can flow through the wondrous gaps and moments of stillness.
Without the experience of boredom we are denying the child the ability to express and experience their own inner creativity, and they will forever seek stimulation from external sources, because they would be unaware of the power that lies within them.
How can we create and environment for the expression of inner creativity?
Provide an environment that has various art and craft supplies.
Easy access to musical instruments.
Animals for the development of responsibility and of course for the pure joy they bring.
Various learning materials that are open-ended. Many toys created today preclude the need for any imagination and are therefore not ideal. Try to provide toys that require a degree of imagination, for example things that are not specific in what they could be – blocks that can be a train, car, house, boat etc.
We as parents have a responsibility to be present and receptive for our children.
Take the child on a walk in nature to shift their perspective to the physical world around them.
Encourage the child to go outside and observe the different sounds they can hear, and encourage them to discern the subtleties of nature around them – the different plants, insects etc.
We will be dependent on our children to create solutions to the world's problems in the future. It is our responsibility to provide the environment for our children to explore their innate creativity. It will be these precious moments of insights that will be the seeds to blossom into solutions for the many future problems. Give your child space, space to be...and the results will surprise you...
Resources:
Lawrence Williams Ed.D., The Heart of Learning - Oak Meadow. 2010 Brattleboro, VT
Comments