Drug and alcohol addiction and abuse. Recognition. Prevention. Treatment
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Prevention Solutions - Teenager
[ Page 1 of 3 | print friendly version ]I'm Bored
Whether your children are 5 or 15 years old you have undoubtedly heard them complain about being bored. My favourite example is when a parent takes their children for a holiday at the lake where they can swim, hike, build forts, catch frogs, canoe, pick berries, ride bikes, and climb trees but the kids complain that there is nothing to do.
We assume that children know how to make their own fun if the opportunities are presented to them. Unfortunately, children have been brought up with highly stimulating computers, TV’s, video games, and interactive electronic toys that dictate most of the creative imaginative qualities of play for the child. Therefore, they need to be shown and taught how to use their imagination and play by interacting with others and their environment.
At my office children learn play skills and reawaken their creative imagination with puppets, board games, doll-house figures, drawing pictures, and creating dramatic stories with the sand figures. Initially many children have trouble starting creative play without my help but eventually they take the lead and start to understand the limitless potential of using imagination in play.
Interestingly, most children who complain of boredom are not actually bored. They call everything bored but what they really want to say is that they are feeling uncomfortable, overwhelmed, inadequate, emotionally exhausted, afraid of taking a risk, and uneasy about trying something outside their comfort zone.
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