Avoiding "I'm Bored!!" This Summer

There are endless choices available to keep our kids busy this summer.  Some are excellent choices such as the library summer reading program, summer camps both day and overnight, part time jobs, vacations and spending time with friends and family.  However, there are the often more available and possibly less savory choices such as social media, television, internet and video games.  Some of these activities will keep them busy but many will quickly elicit the “I’m bored” response. The remedy to avoid this dreaded phrase is passion. 

Take a minute to visualize yourself doing something that you are passionate about, are you bored? Never, because by definition of pursuing a passion, you are engaged in the activity.  What if your child was able to spend the summer developing a passion of their own?  They would be engaged and you wouldn’t hear, “I’m bored” quite so frequently. Now the problem is how to help them find a true passion and how to develop that passion.

So how do you start? Talk to your kids about what they like, what do they enjoy doing?  If they had a whole morning to themselves, what would they do?  Help them brainstorm and see if there is something they could continue to learn about, get better at, or just explore.  Do you have an outdoorsman or woman in your house? Maybe they could choose a hike to plan and complete once a week. What about the inventor in your house? Help them develop the “next best thing” and how to create it.  Do you have a budding writer or artist?  Help them find their inspiration and develop these talents. 

For the high school students, parents can take this idea one step further.  Souhegan has a community service requirement for graduation. I have watched a number of students fulfill this requirement by doing menial tasks that have no long term meaning for them. What if they could use a passion of theirs to fill a need in the community?  Do you have a computer whiz that could help a non-profit build their website? Is your teenager a writer who could write and illustrate a children’s book for the elementary schools?  Could your teenager who loves animals help a neighbor that might need some help walking their dog? If a student uses their passion, the community service becomes fun and exciting and will mean more to them in the long run than just completing a requirement.

When a student is engaged in activities that they are passionate about, the energy is palpable and will spread like wild fire.  Here’s to replacing boredom with passion and getting through the summer without hearing “I’m Bored”!