Today more than ever, there is no escaping technology. Kids are faster than adults at learning new applications, video games and everything that comes with the territory to a degree that makes it almost impossible to disconnect from their online toys as well as their online friends. Surprising as this might sound, I also believe that the always existing toy stores but now with more targeted marketing has also made somewhat of an impression on young children to allow them to think that each new toy on the shelf is a must have.
So you purchase for your child the latest gaming equipment, download some YouTube favorites and get all sorts of toys and fill your home with virtual and physical gadgets but where does it end?
Did you know that the more toys children have, the less time they will dedicate for each? When they see that their room is full of many toys they will become over stimulated and end up not playing with any, or worse, playing with each for a few minutes and be on to the next until eventually they want more more more.
Did you also know that boredom is a playground for creativity? Dear parents, allow your children to be bored and watch while their imagination thrives. By boredom I definitely don’t mean keeping your child in an empty room with nothing whatsoever to do. However, let them have access to one or two toys and hide the rest for later. Why you might ask? Because this allows the child to focus on figuring out how each specific toy is operated, have fun with it and be satisfied that he got everything out of it, and only then after a week or more of playing with a select number of items can you reshelf them and bring down other toys. Alternate between all the items you have in this way and each time he will rediscover the older toys and understand them in a new fascinating manner. Another way to have them enjoy boredom is to hand them some crafts and paints in addition to for example their building blocks and play dough. Sit back and watch as they build a castle with clay dragons and a cardboard ladder to get to the paper river. Children can go hours playing in this way, recreating different scenarios from the existing array of toys and gadgets they have.
Remember how we as an older generation used to play? We used to go outside, play with sticks, play pretend, host a tea party, play board games, Atari and Nintendo or simple games like “I Spy” or “Chambre Noire”. Less was more and it will always be this way, and boredom is a great way to allow children’s imaginations to thrive. You know that there is another hidden advantage in this? It is being grateful for what they have, and this is definitely a topic of discussion very soon. Until then, stay creative!
Maria Najem
Photo: momjunction.com
