Boredom is not bad, on the contrary, it allows us to connect with our essence and even enhances creativity and imagination. For this reason, many psychologists and pedagogues are concerned about the little free time they have kids today, and the fact that they’re always busy with homework, after-school activities, or technology.In that perfectly structured environment, kids hardly have a chance to get bored, which can be harmful to your development.

The study that revealed the connection between boredom and creativity

A study published in the Creativity Research Journal found a very interesting link between boredom and creativity. A group of psychologists at the University of Central Lancashire chose a very boring task: read a directory of telephone numbers for 15 minutes. The participants then underwent a series of tests that assessed their creativity.

Researchers found that people who were bored before starting the test not only provided more responses but these were more creative. These psychologists are convinced that boredom is not something negative that we should avoid at all costs, on the contrary, it is an opportunity to encourage creativity.

In the case of children, boredom is even more important since it allows them to train their inhibition mechanism. It is true that at first children may experience some discomfort when they feel bored, but it is a transitory sensation that in the long run favors motivation, autonomy and resistance to frustration.

Make sure your children have unstructured free time

In recent times, especially as a result of the appearance and spread of technological games, children have been abandoning unstructured games structured. However, it is precisely this type of game that stimulates creativity the most, since there is no rigid pattern to follow, rather it is necessary to resort to fantasy and improvise.

De In the same way, children need to have free time, which is not perfectly structured, a time with which they can do what they want, even get bored. In fact,many parents feel guilty when their children claim that they are bored, without being aware that boredom is not badbut rather it is an opportunity for children to connect with their essence and explore new universes.

A child who has the whole day full of perfectly structured activities and when he plays he follows fixed patterns and rules, he will not have the opportunity to develop the creativity and imagination, two skills that are essential for success in the professional field today.

What to do when your children tell you that get bored?

When children have free time, they may get bored and turn to their parents for ideas. You want to pay attention to it, at least for a few minutes. Explain that boredom is not a bad thing and that they can take advantage of it to invent a new game or do something different.

You can also suggest some ideas, but make sure it is the child who chooses what he wants to do, do not impose anything on him since it is his free time, and the most important thing is that he learns to manage it. In fact, one of the biggest challenges of adults is knowing how to manage their time.

The idea is that you pay attention to your child and show him that he can come to you when he needs it, but you should not rush by distracting him, that should do it on its own. Remember that children also need time to do nothing, enjoy their fantasies, daydream, observe the world or simply take in experiences.