It's been a rough couple weeks here. Phew! The children have been bickering with each other, whining constantly, and sometimes just out right defiant and mean. Needless to say, this mama has been feeling a little lost and overwhelmed. Last night it all culminated in one fine moment wherein my normally sweet 6-year-old daughter called me a name which shall not be repeated on the world wide web. Oh yes, she did.
As angry as I could have been over it, at that moment a light bulb went off for me, and I simply took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I realized that my children have spent approximately the last nine months in a structured, unimaginative environment: the public school. Now they've come home, and while they are incredibly happy to be here and never want to leave, there's a little loss as to what to do with themselves all day. They are... *gasp*... bored.
Don't get me wrong, I do plan activities for the day and involve them in my daily routine. Even still there are times in the day when they either aren't interested in doing what I'm doing or must occupy themselves. I've come to realize that I am not here as 24-hour entertainment (though 24-hour love still applies ;).
So today I've again been faced with the "but what can I do"s and the "I wanna watch tv now"s, but instead of trying to run to the rescue I just say, "it's okay to be bored. Think how relaxing it is to do nothing." And they huff and puff and blow off to find something to do.
It's time to reawaken those precious imaginations.
It's hard sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI have four girls and the three youngest are going through a bickering phase at the moment.
Boredom can be very positive like you said. Eventually they begin to create their own entertainment from their imaginations if left to cultivate them for a while.
Yes indeed, SuzyQ. It is hard sometimes, and I understand their plight. Like any transition, I know that they will need time to adjust to life at home once more. Hopefully by the time homeschooling starts up in the fall they will be better acclimated.
ReplyDeleteThat, of course, will be another transition though.