tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2528470033811673980.post5082366105393809209..comments2023-10-23T20:14:05.916-05:00Comments on Ruth's Rambles...: Boredom.Hi from Ruth!http://www.blogger.com/profile/04696686601621200587noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2528470033811673980.post-5041947204676675562012-08-29T18:15:44.195-05:002012-08-29T18:15:44.195-05:00LOVE it! I also grew up in a home where "bor...LOVE it! I also grew up in a home where "bored" wasn't allowed. I've never thought through it as thoroughly as you... I'm going to try your "no answer" technique. They never want my suggestions anyway. :)Erinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12309181370640568651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2528470033811673980.post-28718498205450082642012-08-28T09:53:24.851-05:002012-08-28T09:53:24.851-05:00Hey- that's me who was anonymous! My lost comm...Hey- that's me who was anonymous! My lost comment somehow made it to you and didn't get lost in space after all :) Too funny.Kristin M.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2528470033811673980.post-48680108801679902072012-08-28T06:55:37.856-05:002012-08-28T06:55:37.856-05:00Ahh, Kristin, I'm so sorry about your comment ...Ahh, Kristin, I'm so sorry about your comment being lost...if there's something I need to fix in the system, let me know. That's happened to me before and it's soo frustrating.<br /><br />Anonymous, I love that you are so comfortable with the word. And yes, great observation about things like food/tv - tv is often the option that my boys come up with and I fully agree that the answer to boredom is not mindless entertainment. If it's true what Carolyn suggested that boredom might be a form of mild anger, then for sure watching tv and stifling that is not going to be the answer. Amen.<br /><br />Thanks.<br /><br />RuthHi from Ruth!https://www.blogger.com/profile/04696686601621200587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2528470033811673980.post-54725581371783364832012-08-27T22:43:53.120-05:002012-08-27T22:43:53.120-05:00Arrrghh...just lost my entire long winded comment....Arrrghh...just lost my entire long winded comment. I'm off to bed and too tired to reformulate the entire comment again.<br />Great discussion- I'll enter it next time!Kristin M.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2528470033811673980.post-73250230037136542542012-08-27T22:42:06.511-05:002012-08-27T22:42:06.511-05:00Interesting discussion! I love the idea of saying...Interesting discussion! I love the idea of saying "that's awesome" in response to the kids being bored, as well as trying not to offer suggestions (which I have done in the past and usually doesn't work). I sometimes find that my girls will ask to watch TV or have a snack (when they have just eaten and can't really be hungry) and I've started to say, "what I think you are feeling is bored not hungry/wanting TV, and you'll have to come up with something to do" (preferably outside!) :). Hmmm...interesting that I offer the word to my kids when it was banned in other households! I think boredom is a pretty valid emotion- and sometimes a good one. <br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2528470033811673980.post-71866593796075428352012-08-27T14:33:00.756-05:002012-08-27T14:33:00.756-05:00THanks Tammy. I'm glad something in my post h...THanks Tammy. I'm glad something in my post helped, though to be honest I would never have gotten to this comfort level had Matthew not pushed back in that authentic and innocently questioning way. I'm grateful for that lesson!<br /><br />Sometimes, I too give ideas to the kids when they're bored, but more and more I'm just learning to shut up about providing a solution and about 9 times out of 10 I'm so glad I didn't.<br /><br />ANyway, this is a learning curve for many of us I think...especially for me!<br /><br />Great to see you last week, btw!<br /><br />RuthHi from Ruth!https://www.blogger.com/profile/04696686601621200587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2528470033811673980.post-47490169602581872222012-08-27T14:27:54.519-05:002012-08-27T14:27:54.519-05:00Oh, how I flinched when I first heard one of my ch...Oh, how I flinched when I first heard one of my children say those dreaded words, "I'm bored." And mostly that's because I feel, as you said, like I need to "fix" the situation. Or I feel like I'm failing as a homeschooling mom if my kids get bored. (Forgetting about the HOURS of clock watching I did every week at school!) Anyways, I have sometimes responded with irritation, "Oh c'mon, you can't be serious. You've got all those toys, and you're still bored!" (ie. Don't let on you're bored or mom might put a kibosh on the kiddie toy clutter!) Sometimes I have responded with suggestions of activities (never helps). And once I simply said, "Well, that's awesome." They looked at me quizzically. "Something great's about to happen." (Or something really messy!) Anyways, I love your advice to let the boredom be - that's what I'd like to aspire to.mommy besiegedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04588755821521839531noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2528470033811673980.post-89666453235190394252012-08-27T14:26:49.035-05:002012-08-27T14:26:49.035-05:00Just read the article you linked to Heidi. My kid...Just read the article you linked to Heidi. My kids aren't quite at the stage of being distracted by technology yet, but I'm sure if given the opportunity they would choose to alleviate their 'boredom' in this way.<br /><br />A couple of years ago, Geoff and I were on an airplane with Matthew, sitting beside a university professor. We ended up talking about h/schooling and he was (surprisingly) supportive of it. He said that if there was one single piece of advice he could give us, and all parents, it was to keep our kid(s) away from technology for as long as possible. He saw the detrimental evidence of tech overdose in his classrooms and he was rather despairing of it. We've never forgotten his suggestion and are glad that, until this point, their greatest access to technology is when they're with their cousins!<br /><br />RuthHi from Ruth!https://www.blogger.com/profile/04696686601621200587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2528470033811673980.post-2397330260107561172012-08-27T14:26:48.443-05:002012-08-27T14:26:48.443-05:00Just read the article you linked to Heidi. My kid...Just read the article you linked to Heidi. My kids aren't quite at the stage of being distracted by technology yet, but I'm sure if given the opportunity they would choose to alleviate their 'boredom' in this way.<br /><br />A couple of years ago, Geoff and I were on an airplane with Matthew, sitting beside a university professor. We ended up talking about h/schooling and he was (surprisingly) supportive of it. He said that if there was one single piece of advice he could give us, and all parents, it was to keep our kid(s) away from technology for as long as possible. He saw the detrimental evidence of tech overdose in his classrooms and he was rather despairing of it. We've never forgotten his suggestion and are glad that, until this point, their greatest access to technology is when they're with their cousins!<br /><br />RuthHi from Ruth!https://www.blogger.com/profile/04696686601621200587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2528470033811673980.post-12071695240690234312012-08-27T14:17:05.643-05:002012-08-27T14:17:05.643-05:00Thanks Heidi - heading there now to check it out!
...Thanks Heidi - heading there now to check it out!<br /><br />RuthHi from Ruth!https://www.blogger.com/profile/04696686601621200587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2528470033811673980.post-59193504111613066962012-08-27T13:13:26.145-05:002012-08-27T13:13:26.145-05:00I loved this article on growing up digital and the...I loved this article on growing up digital and the value of boredom for kids<br /><br />http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/technology/21brain.html?_r=1&ref=mattrichtelHeidi Reimer-Epphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03948182411191559285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2528470033811673980.post-70686171985075228442012-08-27T11:08:24.443-05:002012-08-27T11:08:24.443-05:00Thanks guys...and Carolyn, I'd never heard/tho...Thanks guys...and Carolyn, I'd never heard/thought of that before...interesting idea. Hmmph.<br /><br />Blessings,<br /><br />RuthHi from Ruth!https://www.blogger.com/profile/04696686601621200587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2528470033811673980.post-53151042658078601502012-08-27T10:37:35.956-05:002012-08-27T10:37:35.956-05:00I too grew up in a "no boredom" home and...I too grew up in a "no boredom" home and I think your solution is perfect. Let's be bored and see what happens :-) Hopefully there will be a day when I can borrow your words to your children and let mine figure out what they want to do when bored.<br /><br />AllisonAllisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09178471678989033152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2528470033811673980.post-19207473083555975472012-08-27T10:35:29.266-05:002012-08-27T10:35:29.266-05:00I remember someone told me years ago that boredom ...I remember someone told me years ago that boredom was a subtle and understated/mild form of anger. Makes some sense I think...boredom vs solitude, or boredom vs peaceful...and anger motivates people to make change...and you're talking about recognizing the boredom and allowing it to give you/the kids energy to move forward creatively.Carolynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17052641043579698152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2528470033811673980.post-65892018134734681732012-08-27T08:04:07.051-05:002012-08-27T08:04:07.051-05:00Thanks Joy - I'll check it out!
I'm glad ...Thanks Joy - I'll check it out!<br /><br />I'm glad you provided the link but I'll never be able to spell that guy's name!!<br /><br />RuthHi from Ruth!https://www.blogger.com/profile/04696686601621200587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2528470033811673980.post-56341130902044463672012-08-27T07:39:17.622-05:002012-08-27T07:39:17.622-05:00This made me think of Csikszentmihalyi's work ...This made me think of Csikszentmihalyi's work on "flow" experiences, and the idea that boredom can spur us on to the next level of challenge and creative fulfillment:<br /><br />http://myweb.stedwards.edu/michaelo/2349/paper1/ConceptOfFlow.pdfJoyhttp://joyandgeoffsplace.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.com