Beyond Busy: Making Space for Boredom
This has been on my mind today…
When new homeschoolers start out, one of the first things I see them try to avoid is boredom.
They fill the schedule with academics. Add on some coding games. Sprinkle in art classes, science experiments, and extracurriculars.
All in the name of “keeping them busy.”
But here’s the thing…
Kids don’t need busy.
They need space.
Space to feel still, to get bored and to wonder what else is possible.
Because boredom isn’t a problem to solve.
It’s a gateway to curiosity.
This weekend, I watched it play out in real life. It was around 7pm this past weekend. My kids were both on their phones, scrolling. Dinner was still an hour away, like it usually is in our house.
I looked over and thought, should I ask them to put it down?
Will it turn into a fight right before dinner? Will it be met with the usual eye rolls or sighs? Probably.
But I asked anyway.
“Take a break,” I said. “Do something else for a bit.”
They both put their phones down, reluctantly. And within a minute, I heard it. The phrase I knew was coming.
“I’m so bored.”
I said nothing. Just let it hang in the air. Ten minutes later, the three of us were at the kitchen table playing UNO. By the 45-minute mark, the game had turned competitive. We were laughing, shouting, teaming up, accusing each other of cheating. And just like that, they weren’t bored anymore.
After dinner, the phones stayed off.
My son pulled out his sketchbook and started drawing.
My daughter went to her room and practiced her DJ set.
No devices. No distractions. Just presence. All because they got bored.
I used to think boredom was something to fix.
Now I see it as a door. Because boredom is what comes before the magic.
Before the game, the drawing, the creativity, the music. And all we have to do is let it happen.
“I’m bored” is not a complaint. It’s a cue.
Let’s stop trying to fill it. Let’s let our kids feel it.
They’ll figure it out. And when they do, it’ll be better than anything on a screen.
still learning, still unlearning