Boredom Busters: Preschool and Elementary Years

Over the weekend we took a whirlwind road trip to surprise my father-in-law who retired after 40 years in his company.  We stayed less than 72 hours (and 24 of them were spent driving).  Needless to say, after 11 years of marriage, my husband and I have perfected the art of marathon drives.  My kids, by default, have too.

To prevent boredom from engulfing our four- and six-year-olds, I have learned to plan ahead.  My usual weapons: DVDs, books, art supplies, digital learning games, and a few toys for creative play.  I mix things up by packing toys, books, and movies that haven't been played with or viewed in awhile.  It's all about novelty.

But see, novelty is a Catch-22.  On a road trip it's a necessity.  In day-to-day life, however, novelty has cognitively spoiled today's children.  Preschoolers and elementary-age kids are accustom to new, novel, and varied experiences.  (My children included.)  Technology is at their disposal--and attention-deficits are on the rise.  Kids jump from channel-to-channel, game-to-game, and activity-to-activity with little time for reflective thought and minimal need for elongated attention spans.  Children have trouble concentrating, but many of their daily activities require little need for concentration.  Technological task-jumping often begets boredom.

As I discussed in a previous post, boredom isn't a bad thing.  Neither is technology.  But moderation is imperative.  Kids today are being raised on tech-toys, smartphones, tablets, and television.  On one hand, immersion in technology is training their young brains to be nimble and learn quickly; but on the other, children aren't being challenged to problem-solve with any depth.  They have less human contact, interaction, and collaboration; smaller vocabularies and fewer meaningful discussions; and minimized opportunities for concentration and reflection.

During elementary school, between the ages of 7 to 11, neuron growth rapidly occurs in the brain (nearly as quickly as that occurring in infancy and toddlerhood).  Parents and educators need to capitalize on this peak period for learning, imagination, and creativity by stimulating these growing minds.  Practical ways to do this include imposing limitations and encouraging exploration.

Limit your child's time on computers, smartphones, tablets, videogames, and watching TV.  Encourage independent reading, play, and creative outlets (such as art or writing).  Limit extracurricular activities.  Kids (and parents) are over-extended.  Encourage your child to chose one or two favorite "extras" that they enjoy most and do well.  Limit idle time.  Although kids need rest, they also need daily physical activity.  And finally, encourage family time that allows for discussion, laughter, reflection, problem-solving, and play.

Thought for today:  For the next week, keep a written log of your child's activities.  Make a schedule that tallies the time they spend learning, playing creatively, being with family, being physically active, socializing, using technology, and watching TV.  How balanced is their schedule?

Practicing What I Preach:  When we travel on long car trips, I try to break up their time in the car.  After my kids watch a movie, I'll turn off the DVD player and we'll sing songs or talk.  Or I'll encourage them to play with their toys independently.  I switch between allowing them to play with something that engages them (a DVD or a video game) and something that they engage with (art, books, make-believe toys).  I try to apply these same principles throughout the week as well, being sure to incorporate time for learning, physical activity, and family/friends.