Photo: plasticrevolver
When I was a kid, I lived in the country, and we had one television channel. I wasn’t allowed to watch most of what was on it, and as far as computers went, well, we had a Commodore. If you’ve never heard of that, then that means I’m older than you are.
To entertain myself, I would get magnets and go outside in the driveway to find asteroid dust. I didn’t know about iron being a component of rocks back then. There was also a game I would play with a friend which involved getting as close to the bull in the pasture as we could before he got mad, and then running away. We also would go to the town dump and pretend like we were the last survivors in an post-apocalyptic world.
I taught myself how to crochet and sew, and I read a lot. My mom taught me how to cook and gave me free reign in the kitchen.
My best friend and I invented green housing! We used to dig huge holes in the ground and dig tunnels (hallways) between them.
I’m remembering these things because yesterday, one of my students asked me to get him a book on origami.
“I decided to teach myself,” he said.
I responded with something nice and encouraging, I’m sure.
“I’m going to teach myself because that’s what people do when they’re in boring places like prison.” He looked at me, perhaps for a response to his comparing my classroom to a prison.
I told him I would get him the book, and I did. He has just finished a science fiction one, which he says is the first book he’s read since 8th grade. He’s a senior, and he does not have a reading disability. Blows my mind.
Sometimes I think sitting a cubicle in alternative school being bored is the best thing that can happen to some of these kids. It’s a chance for their creative side to reemerge. They become curious, and start asking questions that we can Google and find out the answers to. They ask to do art projects. They ask to learn how to sew. Two boys even wanted to learn how to crochet after they saw me doing it at lunch one day.
Kids really shouldn’t have to be in jail or an alternative school to become interested in learning, though. Just think about what would happen if we got rid of all of their forms of entertainment. I realize that Grand Theft Auto 4 is not going to go away, but what if households had a “no electronics” day every week when kids could become bored enough to find something to do? To create something? To become curious?
I think it could change the direction of the world, really.
Interesting theory, but I think there’s some merits in what you said. Many people start making changes to their lives, or try out new things, after they realized how bored they are of their current lives. Maybe it’s like breaking something/someone down before building it up.
Yep, boredom. That’s how you create that blank slate.
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the nonreaders always blow my mind, too. I just cannot fathom not wanting to read.
anyway, I agree with you. Until the pain of changing the same becomes greater than the fear of change, change does not occur. Hopefully he will get to use these great new origami skills outside of prison.
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You are so right! The year that I actually stuck to the “No TV during the school week” rule, my kids started pulling out Legos that they hadn’t looked at in months, making books, planting stuff in the back yard- it was amazing. I plan on doing it again, but also adding No Computer. There will be a mutiny!
I agree completely with you. We have three kids, and it’s amazing how they differ in their individual ability to play on their own. One of them has so much imagination it’s scary - yet another has almost no imagination…
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I always tell my kids that I do not own their boredom - it’s up to them to choose to fix their own situation.
Out them comes the creative writing, the DDR, the storytelling.
Refusing to entertain them makes them responsible. I’m probably already blamed for soooo many other things….
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[...] keeping with the creative flow, Bloggrrl says that kids should be bored. When they are bombarded with too much entertainment — video games, television, music, and so [...]
I not only lacked in entertainment, but also played alone almost all the time. I made my own fun. I think it make me more creative and immune to peer pressure because I don’t need anyone else to make me happy.
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You are so right on this one. When we take the distractions from people, what ends up happening is they find ways to fill the time that are creative and enduring. They don’t escape reality - they create new ones. It’s a beautiful thing.
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I completely agree with you on this one and I was actually thinking the same thing as my 4 year old was demanding my attention on Sunday.
When I was a kid I made doll houses out of boxes, made up plays to act to my parents, wandered the beach collecting shells, climbed rocks, drew, and read probably 3 books a week. I was also a chronic day dreamer and I think this has a lot to do with me being a writer now. My parents told me to get out and amuse myself, so I had to. This ended up being such a great thing for my life and I’m trying valiantly, in an up-hill battle to get my son to be the same.
My mum asked me whether she could get my kid a portable dvd player for the car and my answer was something alogn the lines of “F*ck no, that’s what windows are for!”
Kelly
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My grandmother didn’t allow me to watch much TV (back where there was 4 whole channels to choose from), and as a result, I created my own entertainment i.e., reading, art, pretending stuff (I like your post-apocalyptic dump game!) Now, I’m subjecting my son to the same sort of “boredom” I had. No Nintendo Wii. No TV, let alone cable. I think he’ll turn out OK, either that or he’ll hate me for life.