It's GOOD for children to experience boredom...

I totally agree Anya, they need time to discover how to keep themselves busy. I'm sure that some inventions are born from boredom.

If they are bored they just click on some electronic gadget. But better maybe than expecting others to relieve their boredom.

I often leave my 2 year old GD to potter about on her own as much as I can, whilst I get on with other things - it is a good lesson I think.

But creating boredom would specifically prohibit the use of electronic devices Lucky

Agree 100% Anya-have had this discussion with Dgd on more than one occasion. Fortunately she's a reader which helps greatly I think.

KateK picking up a book is one of the positive paths out of boredom for your DGD and for many of us readers.

My GS (nearly 9) has his 'free time' very structured by his parents. When he comes here to visit, I often find him just glazing at nothing in particular. When once I asked what he was doing, he said 'it's just nice to sit and think sometimes Nana' ... I can appreciate that feeling.

I am mixed on this I think.
When they get to teenagers, boredom can help lead them into trouble.

I agree with the general idea though.

BUT, hang onto this thought S2B ... if, as young children, they have taught themselves how not to be bored then they should have hobbies, interests, things to do, strategies, etc.. to prevent the 'devil makes work for idle hands' syndrome.

True.

So you are saying be bored, but dont stay bored?

What do you mean by creating boredom would specifically prohibit the use of electronic devices?

If they have their devices Soon then they wouldn't be bored. It's good for them to have a technology free day and find other activities. Laptop/iPad etc have their place but they need to learn to think. Dgd and I are making felt finger puppets for littlest dgs and both she and visiting dgs had fab time at local country park activity day making/sailing mini rafts, rope swings. following nature trails and then we went geocaching. Dgs held back a little trying to be 'cool' but once he let his hair down he had a great time. They are both limited on screen time but dgs would hang on to it all day given half a chance. Lots of peer pressure even at just 9 with the boys.

I see what Anya was saying now.
I agree with your post Katek.

Anya - that implies that clicking on a gadget is not just another way of relieving boredom, like reading a book or kicking a football around.

I absolutely agree Anya If you learn to deal with boredom as a small child I'm sure you are less likely to spend your teenage years aimlessly causing trouble. Far better learn to make your own amusement rather than always have someone "entertaining" you.

Yes, it's a judgement I agree Lucky

My DGC tell me they watch DVDs and play on ipad, xbox etc when they are with mum. When they are with me and DS they play on the slide in my garden, plant seeds/plants, monitor the tadpoles or worms in the compost bin, search for mini beasts, or generally just occupy themselves. Indoors they do puzzles, draw, colour, write, bake cakes or cookies, help prepare meals and play endless imaginary games. They play 'out the front' on bikes, playing kick/throw ball, kerbie, running/hopping/skipping races, hide and seek or just make up more imaginary games.
They love 'adventures' aka walks in the woods, pond dipping, picnics wet welly walks in the rain, paddling in streams, throwing stones collecting stones/twigs /leaves/assorted rubbish!
Today we looked at clouds and saw lots of different creatures and shapes in the sky, while on our picnic in a local river valley (as well as finding, frogs crickets, butterflies and other unknown insects in the grass).
I could go on and on (and often do), including local free events, library activities, play areas. I hope when they look back they don't remember being bored and pass it on to their own children.

There are some children's programmes on NZ free television but you need Sky, which I don't have or want, for Nickelodeon, Disney and other dedicated children's channels. Consequently, when the children are at my house, they don't watch the television. I do have a limited number of suitable DVDs which we occasionally put on. I can't buy any more at the moment because my DVD player is English and won't play DVDs bought in a different zone. (That's nothing to do with technology and everything to do with pricing.) Only the oldest two grandchildren are allowed to use my computer (occasionally for homework and the odd game or two) and they are also the only two with cell phones. One of the younger ones has a tablet but he is only allowed to bring it here if he is having a sleepover. Consequently, we do gardening – talk about the blind leading the blind – play bizarre ball games in the garden (I still don't understand the rules), do puzzles, treasure hunts, board games, baking, drawing and painting, stories, both reading from books and making them up sequentially, rather like playing consequences. The three-year-old loves doing that and is still talking about the chocolate sheep that lived on the side of a volcano that featured last time we played that game.

When the eight-year-old is feeling sassy she announces that she's bored and wants to go home. I usually suggest a couple of things she might like to do and then ignore her. They do all tend to feel that I have to be part of what they are doing, even if it is only snakes and ladders, but, as a rule, I don't really mind joining in. (Admit it, absent, you love it!)

I also, to their parents' delight, insist that homework is tackled when they get here, as soon as they have had a drink and a snack.

This is the house of fun – no time for real boredom here.

I agree that boredom now and then is good for children, but see very little chance of that happening now that they always have a device in their hands to play whenever they like ( and most seem to) or are being entertained by tv, or parents/grandparents.

Exactly what I am thinking*rosesarered*.Children have so many organised activities these day that they don't have time to get bored but hopefully they will get bored with all the electronic games at some point.

Oh!!! I thought this was going to be some sort of interesting research.

Why should it be actively 'good' for children? I hope my grandkids are always able to avoid it. It's not good for anyone.

What the 'experts' say

I especially remember being told 'Bored are you? Well There's potatoes here waiting to be peeled' - I certainly took myself off PDQ.

But isn't that part of the problem? We could and did take ourselves off (all day) armed only with a jelly piece, and only reappeared when hunger or night drawing in drove us home?

I agree with you Jingle, boredom is mind numbing and tedious, I think the " experts" say it triggers off imagination and creativity. But I don't think just being quiet for a moment and having nothing particularly stimulating to do is true boredom. When children say they are bored, I just think they want someone to entertain them, it passes quickly and they move on to the next thing.

I can't see anything wrong with helping a child avoid boredom, even if it's just a trip to the library to take out the box set of Harry Potter. I know a certain young feller who happily spent a day or two building his Minecraft Lego whilst listening to just that.

(The reading of library books happens at bedtimes - he's a boy)

I think a child's 'boredom' is more likely to be down to the lack of a playmate. And that's human nature. We all like some sort of company.

I like your name Grannyeggs.