Often, parents and guardians are concerned with offering extracurricular activities for children. This is the case of language classes, cultural workshops and sports. However, despite the great importance of these moments for child development, do we need to fill all the free time of the little ones? Find out below why boredom is also important for children!

We need to learn how to deal with boredom

School activities, homework, English classes, football, judo, ballet, theater and lots of games. Sometimes children’s routines are also full of commitments! Even then, all of a sudden, they complain: “Manhêê, there’s nothing else to do!”. Have you heard that phrase?

We know that the large flow of information and the high number of daily activities are part of modern life. In addition, there is more and more pressure for us to be productive all the time. However, a balance is needed .

In fact, extracurricular activities, such as those mentioned above, are important for preparing children for adulthood. However, having one time to do nothing is also very important for the development of children. And it is essential that they learn to deal with the feeling of boredom.

The excess of visual, sound and tactile stimuli, for example, make children get used to experiencing everything very quickly. So, it is to be expected that any less dynamic activity will bore them. However, the eagerness of parents and guardians to keep children constantly entertained can have consequences for future generations.

Why boredom is important for children

When we rest, or have nothing to do, our brain builds connections . It is in these moments that our body elaborates the stimuli that we receive throughout the day: everything we hear, see and feel. Therefore, especially for younger children, who absorb a lot of new knowledge, it is necessary to take time to accommodate all this information.

Still, boredom is very important to stimulate creativity . This is because it is from these intervals in the routine that children have the opportunity to create unstructured games, build their own toys and freely imagine new possibilities. In other words, boredom is fundamental for the healthy cognitive development of children.

Finally, the moments of pause also offer the small and small the opportunity to explore their worlds , both their internal universe and the external environment, such as the house, the yard, the park. That way, they have time to observe nature and the people around them, discover their own interests, practice their skills and much more. After all, this is how children learn to interact with others and the world.

Through boredom, children learn to imagine, invent and, above all, create. Therefore, the importance of not filling all children’s free time. We need to allow children to get in touch with their self. And dealing with boredom offers such a valuable opportunity!

…