positive attitude for kids Archives

Is Boredom Good For Kids?

Boredom is a common problem complaint among children, especially during holiday times. But is boredom good for kids or not?

A common response from parents is to find sporting and artistic activities to fill children’s time and ensure their child is busy all the time.

While this may prevent kids from getting bored, child psychologists assure us that boredom is actually good for kids and overscheduling them with activities is unnecessary and even harmful.

Activities definitely benefit a child’s physical, cognitive, cultural and social development, but they also need downtime to process life. By being left to their own, with no activities, they can have a chance to daydream, pursue their own thoughts and occupations, and discover personal interests and gifts.

So is boredom good for kids? Here are some resounding reasons why:

If the results of a project spearheaded by Harvard University called “Making Caring Common”, which is basically a survey that asked 10,000 middle and high school students what they think is most important to them, are to be believed, we parents really need to work harder to teach them eternal values, especially in this 21st century.

Most parents and teachers today may believe they are teaching children how important concern for others is, but they are actually sending a message that achievement and happiness are more valued than empathy. That, at least, is what a recent study from Harvard University is suggesting.

We parents want our kids to be happy not only during their childhood, but all throughout their lives. We want them to grow up to be well-adjusted and happy adults more than anything else. More often than not, many among us equate having a great career or business with happiness in adulthood. To that end we encourage our children to do well in school and achieve academically so they can get a leg up on everyone else as they grow up.

A 2012 study, however, declares that achieving adult well-being is less about academic achievement than forging positive social relationships in childhood.

Kids today are often perceived by parents and educators alike as lacking in gratitude. Considering how essential gratitude is in any person’s success and overall well-being, this should be cause for alarm. If you’re one of those parents who think their child is showing signs of being ungrateful, take comfort in the fact that it can actually be reversed. An article written by Jeffrey Froh and Giacomo Bono for Greater Good cites recent research that suggests ways for developing gratitude in children.

It’s sad to note that young as our elementary school children are, many of them already have this fear of failure that manifests itself in debilitating anxiety when taking tests, competing in a sports activity or performing in recitals. Needless to say, we parents need to help them overcome their fear of failure, or it will saddle them throughout their lives. In an article for Greater Good, Vicki Zakrzewski shares some tips that will help our children overcome fear of failure.

As parents, it’s but natural for us to want to teach our kids a lesson when they misbehave. In most cases, teaching them a lesson is often associated with punishment, like a scolding, grounding and even spanking. However, teaching kids a lesson without punishing them is always possible, and an article written by Dr. Laura Markham for Aha! Parenting shows how it can be done.

Children will always be children, and misbehaving is part of being a kid. More often than not, most parents assume that misbehaving kids need to be punished to teach them a lesson. That, however, may not be the most ideal way of dealing with them.

When you punish kids by yelling, spanking or even with stern or cold language, they learn to act aggressively. Then again, leaving them alone with their thoughts as a form of symbolic abandonment isn’t recommended too. Also referred to as timeouts, leaving them alone to ponder on their most recent misbehavior means you’re abandoning them with their big scary feelings at a time when they need you the most.

If there’s one effective way to guide your kids without punishing them in any way shape or form, it’s to treat children with compassion and understanding, even when they’ve done something they shouldn’t have done. Here are some ways that we can do just that.

We all have our fears, whether we admit it or not. It is one of the most basic of human emotions, which is to say that if you’re a human being who doesn’t feel fear in any way, shape or form, then you’re probably not human.

Then again, fear can be overcome, as countless people throughout history have proven. If you are the type of parent who harbours fears about the way you are raising your children or how they are going to turn out when they grow up, here are quotes about fear to inspire you. Fear, after all, can stand in the way of success. Face your fears with regards to parenting your children, and you will be doing them a favour.

An irritable child will exhibit bouts of moody behavior, no exceptions. Temper tantrums and talking back to parents or teachers are very much expected. Some children will appear to be more irritable than others though, to the point where it leads parents to worry about their mental health, and mental health professionals to diagnose them with bipolar disorder. This however, should not really be the case, says Stuart L. Kaplan, M.D. in an article for PsychologyToday.

Is Boredom Good For Kids?

Instilling Eternal Values in 21st Century Kids

Harvard Study: Kids Choose Achievement Over Compassion

Childhood Relationships Key to Happier Adulthood

Developing Gratitude in Children

Let’s Help Our Children Overcome Fear of Failure

Teaching Kids A Lesson Without Punishing Them

How to Guide Your Kids Without Punishing Them

12 Quotes About Fear to Inspire You

Is Your Irritable Child Really Bipolar?

Does MathRider Really Work?

You Be The Judge!

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