‘Kid rotting’ trend encourages parents to let their children be bored during the summer school holidays
Could doing nothing be the key to surviving six weeks of school holidays? See what’s behind the new ‘kid rotting’ parenting trend.
“I’m bored”: It’s the phrase parents are bracing to hear on repeat as we hurtle towards the longest school break of the year.
The panic may already be setting in as you stress about entertaining the kids for weeks on end, while trying to get any work done, and without resorting to screen time all the time.
Well, have you considered just letting your children rot?
Stay with me, it’s not as gross – or harmful – as it sounds.
In fact, it might even be good for them.
“Kid rotting” is the colourful name for a trend embraced by northern hemisphere parents who recently emerged from their lengthy mid-year school break.
A new name for an old idea, the concept encourages parents not to schedule every minute with activities that will drain their batteries and bank accounts and instead let their kids marinate in boredom for a bit.
Eventually, the youngsters will be compelled to find something to do.
Or they may rediscover the lost joy of doing nothing.
And, in the process, they’ll learn some life lessons about independence, resilience, managing frustration and tapping into their creativity.
My kids are four and five and our household is staring down the barrel of our first six-week school break.
So, in a poorly-disguised bid to use my day job to solve a personal problem, I took a deep dive into how to kid rot the right way.
Rules for kid rotting
The concept is a riff on the “bed rotting” trend favoured by Gen Z, which involves taking to your bed for the day to luxuriate in doing very little.
Unlike the young adult version, which might involve scrolling social media or binge-watching television, kid rotting requires boundaries around screen time.
It can be used consciously, watching a film on the family television or setting a timer for an hour of gaming, but devices should not become the default to fill the free time that is central to the whole thing.
“Boredom can be uncomfortable but it’s about helping them work through that,” says Suzi Bell, a mother of two and managing director at mental health services provider Activ8 Mind.
“We don’t need to fill the gap straight away.”
Instead she encourages parents to ask their children or teens what they have always wanted to do if they had the time.
Discuss a few options – but not too many, as this can leave kids overwhelmed or paralysed by indecision.
Guided non-screen activities, such as colouring by numbers, LEGO sets with instructions or jewellery-making kits, can help motivate those who aren’t yet at the build-their-own-treehouse stage of unstructured play.
How to get started
The most important step is clearing the calendar.
It can be hard in a culture that encourages us to optimise every moment, but resist the urge to fill each spare second with play dates, excursions or educational programs.
“Children’s lives today are very, very adult-led. They’re over-structured and reliant on devices,” says Nature Play Queensland education consultant Bec Burch.
“Often the challenge is finding the time within the family routines to just allow children to play in their backyards, with their neighbours or at the local park.
“It’s about that unstructured play that is child-led. They need these things to grow.”
For Adelaide six-year-old Jonny Pattullo this could be building with magnetic tiles, crafting or hanging around on his backyard jungle gym.
Mum Karen, 45, says the Kings Park family will get through these holidays with a mix of one-on-one time, day trips and vacation care.
After encountering the boredom hurdle last summer holidays, she now keeps a list of ideas for her son to choose from when the inevitable “I’m bored” broken record starts up.
“He likes to be busy, so it’s about finding that balance,” Mrs Pattullo said.
“But he doesn’t have to be entertained all the time. I know in the long run it will be good for him.”
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Originally published as ‘Kid rotting’ trend encourages parents to let their children be bored during the summer school holidays
