I remember taking this picture one of those days at the height of the pandemic when I could tell cabin fever was at an alltime high. It was morning, hubby had just gone to work as he has been frontline since day one. Morning is a time I guard fiercely – I will write about morning and screen time someday. So I started walking outside our backyard as the kids followed me like a mother hen with her little chicks with the usual, “what are doing next?” ” Can we go watch?” It was at this time I saw a box some loose parts, jenga blocks and decided this is it. I am just going to default to boredom and creativity to help me out here. So I set them up with the cardboard box, the jenga blocks and threw in the idea – why dont you try make a TV. I helped for a bit but slowly started stepping away , made my cup of hot water and lemon and was amazed at the silence that ensued for a while. I had to take this picture as a reminder that kids just boredom & time to tap into their inner creative geniuses. They are so capable and I needed this picture as a reminder on the days I used to be so quick to hand over a device as I felt my anxiety rise with the constant nagging. Set them up for success – again you do not want to leave them in a plain open space just twiddling their thumbs and get exasperated when they say “there is nothing to do.” Look around. There really is nothing to do. I sometimes say – think recycling bin if you are wondering where to start with loose parts – empty cartons, there are so many little things kids can pick and pull apart. So give them time. Let them be bored – because it is then their creativity really takes over.
“Give children toys powered by their imagination and not by batteries.” H. Jackson Brown