Favorite Sayings #3

Boredom is the best gift you can give your child.

I just wrote about boredom a few weeks ago, and recently I have heard parents claim their children are bored in kindergarten. I wonder, and maybe even roll my eyes a little, how could a child be bored in kindergarten when their day is filled with play, crafts, stories, music, snack, walks, friends and many other activities? 

It turns out that this "boredom" is not boredom at all, but rather "restlessness," which is a sign that a child is ready to move on to first grade. Who knew?! In a parent evening at Katherine's school this week, the teacher discussed the physical, behavioral and developmental indicators of first grade readiness. The following description was included on the handout under the heading Development of Intention: Dissatisfied with themselves - not sure what to do with themselves - may react with "I'm bored."

Ohhh. This is restlessness, which is not the same as boredom, even though the word boredom may be used by the child (or parent) to describe it. So I'll stop my eye rolling now when I hear of kindergarteners who are "bored" and start observing their behavior to see how exactly this restlessness presents itself in their play and activity. I have a feeling it will be fascinating.