Study shows creativity flourishes when kids are left with more free time

Parents shouldn’t rush to entertain bored children because experts say leaving them to come up with their own ideas encourages creativity and builds resilience. Leading specialist psychologist in parenting, children and adolescents, Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, says ‘brilliance can sprout from the banal’.

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Parents shouldn’t rush to entertain bored children because experts say leaving them to come up with their own ideas encourages creativity and builds resilience.

Children become more resourceful and independent if given space to invent games and stories themselves instead of relying on constant scheduled activities or digital technology to keep them busy, shows the Little People, Big Lives report from the University of Notre Dame and Sanitarium Health Food Company.

The benefits of boredom was among several key findings in the new report examining emerging physical and mental health issues for children.

A study has shown kids are more resourceful and independent when they are not occupied by screens.

The university’s Dean of the School of Medicine and mum of five Professor Christine Bennett said parents should embrace boredom as a learning tool.

“Boredom can be beneficial,” she said.

“It’s actually a brilliant thing in your life because it gives you the opportunity to think imaginatively and be creative.”

Professor Bennett said boredom can lead children to consider their individual interests and talents.

“It’s an opportunity lost when you’re just constantly being entertained by a screen. You’re not exploring the world and you’re not exploring yourself,” she said. “Learning to entertain yourself … using your imagination and exploring things without it needing to be delivered is an important skill.”

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More than half of NSW parents who said they were “accustomed” to their child occasionally revealing they are bored during school holidays respond by giving activity suggestions, YouGov Galaxy polling shows.

Only a third of parents said they let their child figure out their own solution.

Professor Bennett said parents can help their kids get started with ideas.

“You don’t have to say ‘go away and work it out yourself’, you can give them some guidance and some of the tools and activities that will also give them ideas for next time,” she said.

“Maybe it is dinner time and you can get the children involved in preparing the meal … or if they make a cubby you can help out and climb in.”

Kerry Philips, pictured with her grandchildren Frank Focas, 3 and Sophia Kotsis, 2, said she gives them her own time for “free play”. Picture: Justin Lloyd

It comes as data shows 60 per cent of primary school children and 85 per cent of high school students exceed the Australian government recommendations for daily maximum electronic media used for entertainment.

Kogarah grandmother Kerri Philips cares for her young grandchildren full time during weekdays and said a new cubby house has given the kids a focus point to develop “free play” ideas.

“I do give them a lot of play on their own, but I also make sure I’m involved,” she said.

“For example they’ll take their tea set into the cubby house and then call me over so they can make me a cup of tea. The kids are also going to help paint the cubby house soon.”

Ms Philips said her grandchildren were inspired by the Wiggles to develop their own ballet dancing play and often return to books she has read and retell the stories.

Brilliance can sprout from the banal

Comment by Dr Michael Carr-Gregg

Many parents, grandparents and adults across Australia, will have been informed by their children, over the weekend that they were “bored”.

Many, sadly, on receiving this news, will feel as though they have in some way been guilty of some giant parenting fail.

Nothing could be further from the truth. The only catastrophe would be if they continuously intervened, rather than allowing the benefits of boredom to ensue.

There appears to be an unfortunate expectation that children must be persistently distracted, amused and always “doing” something.

In my view, a parent’s job is to make their offspring feel safe, valued and listened to — it is not to constantly fascinate, divert or entertain them.

If your child constantly says they are bored, suggest they spend time in the natural environment, encourage exercise, learn to cook, but above all disconnect them from technology for a while. Boredom could be just the thing they need to create a better way of being.

Dr Michael Carr-Gregg is a child and adolescent psychologist and the parenting expert on Channel 7’s Sunrise