October 18 - BOREDOM!

A blurb about kids being "bored." A good friend of mine L has taught me (among many, many other things) not to worry if the kids are bored. They'll get over it. It is good for them to be bored.  (She has a really wonderful and positive hands-off approach to parenting). And they need and want a lot of unstructured play. Well, I can attest to this working and showing its fruits. After many days of being inside with this terrible cold Fina has had, this is what she did this week.

This lovely nothing-planned-for-you-to-do-Fina leads to her building houses with a toy shelf and a fridge and pantry.

Toy shelf up high on the left, pantry and fridge (with eggs) lower right.

Acorn the chipmunk is in this bed.

And to building a crazy fort/toy store/apothecary at the edge of the bed, with many tunnels and a working light!

Yes, Fina is scanning the price of the vaseline and of the teddy bear.

Let your kids be bored. Let them find their own creative play. Indoor and outdoor!
(Even a singleton like Fina can do it. Imagine the possibilities for siblings!!!)

Here are a few outdoor boredom-type of shots from a while back. When she played alone.

She loves to chalk on the sidewalk. Then she took pics with my iPad.

In the dead of summer, she wanted to go into the (mosquito infested) forest. Mom stood on the bridge and didn't go in. Yes, that is a mosquito shirt. And a giant wild rhubarb leaf as a parasol.

Here are the first three stanzas of a poem we are reading together right now. I found them inspiring and fitting to this blurb of mine today.

The Unseen Playmate

When children are playing alone on the green,
In comes the playmate that never was seen.
When children are happy and lonely and good,
The Friend of the Children comes out of the wood.

Nobody hear him and nobody saw,
His is a picture you never could draw,
But he's sure to be present, abroad or at home,
When children are happy and playing alone.

He lies in the laurels, he runs on the grass,
He sings when you tinkle the musical glass;
Whene'er you are happy and cannot tell why,
The Friend of the Children is sure to be by!

Though Fina has never really had an imaginary friend, like some kids, she does interact with her play things and imagines all sorts of things. I do think the unseen playmate is around, when she is happy and lonely and good.

Let your kids be bored. You won't regret it!!!