How to help our child overcome boredom
Nearly one in 10 American teens experienced major depression in 2004, according to government statistics released in December 2005. Depression often leads to suicide, drug or alcohol abuse, and a long list of other deadly problems. I want to offer good advice and solutions to help save our children.
This post is the first of many addressing this national issue. There are many paths to depression. Today we will talk about the path of boredom. What role does it play in depression, how does it start, what are its dangers and how can we prevent it?
Everything, from the largest planet to the smallest molecule, has a specific purpose. There is a logical pattern and a projected goal for each power. The power within our lives is no exception. Without a projected goal, our powers are scattered. Boredom is the byproduct of misappropriated power.
We are constantly gaining new powers. We waste some of our powers because we don’t recognize or underestimate their value. Powers, meaning influence, time, or life itself, are often overlooked. To reach our full potential, we must allocate each power; however, we cannot assign what we do not recognize.
If we don’t assign our powers to a goal, we may use our powers frivolously. Without a goal that motivates us, pleasure, comfort or image become our motivator. This is the reason why people spend all their money to appear to have money. The image does not fill us because it is not real and the pleasure is never satisfied. Boredom hides and waits for the end of pleasure and image.
Young people respond to boredom in two ways. Either they project it externally in the form of mischief or reckless behavior or they project it internally in the form of lethargy which eventually leads to depression. Some children visit both stages. They get depressed and then commit mischievous acts as a cry for help. In more advanced cases of boredom, young people become insensitive to any fear of discipline.
As a New York City police officer, I have arrested and questioned over 4,000 youth. Some of the crimes they committed included murders and serious assaults on other youths. 9 out of 10 of these young people said they were on pension or had nothing else to do. How do we prevent this monster from devouring our children?
The first step to eliminating boredom is to eliminate the term boredom. When a child says, “I’m bored.” They are asking someone to do something. It can also imply a desire to do something different and exciting. Children often perform acts against their character to alleviate the feeling of boredom.
We can train our children to value and use downtime. Downtime plays a huge role in our lives, if you let it. It is the time when you can rest and refresh yourself. You can explore and develop your talents. This is the time when you can look at your to-do list and catch up on what you didn’t have time to do before; or to contemplate today and plan events for tomorrow.
One day my six-year-old daughter, Christina, walked into my office. “I’m bored,” she said in a pouty tone. “I want you to write down your talents and the things you like to do,” I said in an optimistic voice.
He came back with a list of eleven things. I told him to circle the things on the list that you can do inside. She was spinning, drawing, listening to music, playing video games and playing the piano. I made an agreement with her. “When you think of the word boredom, I want you to think of doing one of those things you circled.” She left the room excited and full of hope.
The boredom of our son is our responsibility. Once we teach them the value of free time, boredom becomes their responsibility. Our children often get into trouble when they look to others to remedy their boredom.