PARENTS will be all too familiar with the phrase “I’m bored” as their kids struggle to entertain themselves.
But one parenting pro has shared how mum’s and dad’s shouldn’t rush to help their children to find an activity to do – and instead should do absolutely nothing.
TikTok user Brooke Lynne Dukes, who works as a parenting coach, lifted the lid on her technique, which may appear controversial at first but she says is tried and tested.
Brooke, who can be found at @brookelynnedukes, told her almost 5000 followers that the key is in their response – and how changing their response will result in them saying it less in the future.
She said that the next time your child “comes up to you and goes, ‘mum, I’m bored, I have nothing to do. I have nothing to play with,” you need to stop and think about the response.
Brooke explained: “Resist that urge to say, ‘what about your magnet tiles?’ or, ‘what about your doll house?’”
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Instead, she said there is a simple rule to follow, which will change everything.
She continued: “The cure to boredom is boredom.
“Don’t fix it, don’t offer suggestions, just go, ‘hmm, hmm. Yeah, that’s hard. Hmm, I don’t know.’
“And don’t solve anything – let them be bored, wait it out, count how long it takes.”
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Although this may sound initially harsh to many parents, Brooke maintains that it’s teaching them valuable skills and lessons.
The social media user explained: “That discomfort that they’re feeling is going to be what pushes them to solve their own boredom.
“The less that you solve their boredom for them, the more that they will.
“The more that they’re going to be able to build that Task Initiation Skill to get started and reach out and self-stimulate and look for an activity.
Emphasising her point further, she closed off the video as she repeated: “The cure to boredom is boredom.”
After she shared her expert opinion, parents were quick to say what they thought of the method.
And it appeared to split people totally down the middle.
On the one hand, many praised her and said that they could totally see her point of view.
One wrote: “Boredom is awesome, it’s where you get creative.”
A second agreed, as they commented: “I say, ‘Ooh, you’re lucky, being bored means you can find something fun to do!’”
However, others said they would go for a slightly different tactic.
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One person suggested: “I always said, ‘Here's a chore.’ They stopped saying I’m bored.”
And another added: “‘You can clean the house like I am’ solves it pretty good!”
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