Let Your Kids Be Bored This Summer — It's Actually Good for Them

We are reaching the end of summer… and running out of things to do. In a world of summer camps, Pinterest activities, social media full of summer fun, and an endless stream of entertainment options, it can feel like we’re supposed to be our kids’ cruise directors from June through August. But here’s a radical idea that might bring you some relief: it’s okay — even good — to let your kids be bored this summer.

Boredom Isn’t a Problem to Fix

When kids say “I’m bored,” many parents feel the urge to jump into action. Maybe we offer screen time, plan an outing, or scramble to create a craft or science experiment on the fly. But what if we did something different? What if we paused, nodded, and said, “Yeah, I get that. Sometimes I feel bored too,” and then… let them sit in it?

Because here’s the truth: boredom fosters creativity, resilience, and independence. When kids are left to their own devices (not the digital kind), they start to look inward and outward in new ways. That’s when the cardboard box becomes a spaceship. That’s when a quiet backyard turns into a world of exploration. That’s when stories are written, games are invented, and imaginations are stretched. And sure, sometimes that’s when the kids drive their MEGA Spider-Man remote control vehicle into the crotchety neighbor’s grass… and it’s a time they learn from their mistakes and deal with different kinds of people in the world.

You’re Not Their Full-Time Entertainer (And That’s a Good Thing)

Somewhere along the way, many parents began to feel like we’re failing if our kids aren’t constantly stimulated. But constantly entertaining them doesn’t help them—it actually robs them of the chance to build internal resources for coping with stillness, frustration, and uncertainty. These are muscles they’ll need for life. (As an enneagram 7, I’m still working on this.)

Instead of trying to fill every moment, you can take the pressure off. It’s okay—healthy, even—for kids to spend time figuring out what to do with themselves. That’s how they learn to listen to their own desires, follow their curiosity, and develop a sense of autonomy.

Presence > Performance

That doesn’t mean you disappear all summer. Being attuned and present with your kids matters. But that can look like:

• Riding bikes together after dinner

• Reading side by side on a blanket in the yard or on the back porch

• Making chocolate chip pancakes on a slow morning

• Watching the clouds and naming shapes

You don’t have to perform. You don’t have to orchestrate. You just have to show up, as your real, relaxed self.

A Summer of Simplicity

This summer, try loosening the grip a little. Say yes to slow days. Welcome the boredom. Trust your kids to grow in the quiet spaces between activities.

In doing so, you’re giving them a lifelong gift: the ability to sit with themselves, create, read, make up a new game with a sibling, work through conflict, and learn who they are when no one’s filling the space for them.

Kids need boundaries AND your presence. So be wholeheartedly present for them at times, reading the Curious George at the Chocolate Factory for the 75th time, or building magna-tile castles with Minecraft men on top that you shoot down with nerf bullets. But know that boundaries AND boredom — “Sorry kiddo, I have to work to pay the bills, go find something to do” — isn’t harming them, but can actually foster independence and creativity.