Bored

 "The last thing you need when you are learning, at any age, but especially in childhood, is to have things made too easy. Difficulty and resistance, as long as they are age appropriate and not too discouraging, are actually what press our brains to adapt and learn."

This morning the Xman chauffered Peanut and I to the pharmacy so I could get my first dose of the COVID vaccine (#ScienceforSonya). I wanted to have someone with me as I haven't had a vaccine in 19 years.

As Xman, Peanut and I sat in the "wait here" chairs waiting out our required 15 minute observation , Peanut looks to me and says "What can I do?"

We were seated by the doors. I said "I'm looking outside. See the trees swaying - that means it must be windy right now. What do you see?"

Peanut was not impressed by my observation game and mentioned she was bored. Again asking "What can I do?"

I realized that when we wait places, I always bring some activity choices for Peanut. A coloring book and crayons. Or paper and a pen. Or a few small toys. Options.

I've not often encouraged Peanut to fill her time with her own made up options.

I made a note that this skill is going on my summer list. The ability to just sit somewhere and be entertained by your surroundings alone.

One of the greatest disservices we've done to this newest generation of children is not let them bored. Not force them to bored.

People who have been bored become good problem solvers.

They become thinkers. Creative explorers.

We've committed that Peanut will have no screens until AT LEAST double digits. I won't even discuss phones - my big kids swear we may run to be Amish before we consider allowing her to have one. Round one and two, I didn't know what I didn't know. But now I do, and you can't unlearn hard wisdom.

We do have a screen that we use with Peanut - for educational games, for watching drawing lessons, for listening to audio books.

But Peanut spends the majority of her day exploring her creativity. Screens aren't a daily thing, and aren't a given.

Would it be easier to let Peanut spend time on a screen?

Sometimes. Though through wisdom I've also learned that lots of screen time also seems to lead to behaviors that I don't love.

Screens make things easy and I would argue too easy.

If we want to identify a bird in our yard - google is fast.

But pulling that Bird ID book off the shelf, teaches us both far more. We learn what is and what is not an attribute of various birds. We see birds in our book we may never see in our backyard. We spend time together.

I think screens get us to many destinations but we miss the journey.

And the journey - that's where the beautiful scenary is.

The journey can be messy and loud. But it can also be enriching and enlightening.

Mama Warriors, as we sit in the waiting chairs, let's not reach for our phones. Let's really be present in the waiting together.

Let's model for our kids how to be bored.

Let's model problem solving and creative thinking.

Let's embrace the journey.