Why you should give your children the gift of boredom this summer | Gillian Harvey

Left to their own devices, children grow in resilience and gain skills – including learning how to entertain themselves

Remember the summer holidays when you were at school? How you and your friends had the opportunity to learn a new sport, brush up on your maths for September or take advantage of a plethora of educational and recreational opportunities? How your parents would spend hours planning your break in order for you to get the most out of your teacher-free time?

No? Me neither. In fact, like many of my generation, I spent most of the long break wondering what on earth to do with myself. Other than 10 days in misty Cornwall, much of my summer was spent with my mum and siblings at home in Bedfordshire, complaining of boredom, getting into petty squabbles and feeling that I must be missing out on something more exciting.

Related: Those endless school summers look very different as a mother

Related: It’s the summer holidays – and children need time outside | Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett

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from Children | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2KAduO6