Let Children Get Bored

Behaviour Analysts reassure that when parenting, it is ok for parents to let their child get bored – In terms of child behaviour, it is healthy as it develops the child’s independent play skills & avoids the child developing an over-reliance on the parent to keep them entertained.

Studies in the field of Behaviour Analysis, have found that independent play skills are important for children to develop, as it gets their brain working, it makes them think about what they can do to fill their time themselves, it allows them to be creative, & also teaches them to use their own initiative.

Behaviour Therapists highlight that parents often find that when they let their child get bored, initially the child finds it difficult finding ways to occupy their time, as they are not used doing so. If the child has difficulty managing anger, this frustration can then present itself in the form of behaviour challenges such as the child having tantrums. The child does this in the hope that it will work in getting the parent to give in & entertain them like they would have usually done before. It is key for the parent not to give in, & to let the child practice coming up with a way to entertain themselves, as independent play skills just like any other skill, becomes easier the more it is practiced.

Child Therapists point out that children often present with attention-seeking behaviours around their parents as their parent’s attention is something that they naturally want & it is something that they should get. However, the problem lies when the extent to which the child is looking for the parent’s attention becomes excessive & this is when it is healthy to put a boundary in place.

Often parents feel the need to constantly entertain their child when they are attention-seeking towards them & this can lead to burn out on the parents part. Burnout is especially common, when there is sibling rivalry, & the child is competing with their siblings for the parent’s time & attention.

When you encourage your child to develop their independent play skills, this gives you a break to get other jobs done & gives you a breather. Then when you do join in with their activities, you are recharged, able to give them your full focus, & able to enjoy it so much more. In addition to this, your child also develops a much stronger appreciation of the time that you then spend together.

#HelpDevelopIndependentPlaySkills
#AllowThemToBeCreative
#EncourageThemToUseTheirOwnInitiative