It's been a few weeks of summer and vacation, and the start of the school year still seems a long way off.
It's time to continue enjoying the beach or the mountains, outdoor activities, family and friends.
Of the improvised plans, of the ice creams in the late afternoon, of the water parks and of the trips.
But the fact that children have so much free time means that they also have hours to get bored and that they don't stop complaining at home because they don't know what to do.
Managing this time of laziness is not always easy for families and, on occasion, makes parents make comfortable decisions that distance them from good educational practice.
Parents often see the fact that their children are bored as a personal failure.
They are scared that they feel sad, that they are discouraged or that they have little interest in doing things.
They try to keep them always distracted and thus give them few opportunities to think and decide for themselves.
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Boredom is a very important emotion that is not usually allowed or cultivated.
An essential feeling for personal development that is closely related to the ability to wait, personal autonomy, the development of imagination and talent, and tolerance to frustration.
So experiencing it is very positive for the brain and emotions.
An essential emotion to be able to connect with our interior, with emotions, misgivings or desires.
Time to do nothing is pedagogically essential.
Teaching to tolerate boredom and not looking for constant fun prepares children and young people for a more realistic future, it teaches them that in life they will also have to do things that they do not feel like doing or that they have to adapt to situations that they do not choose.
When a child gets bored, he connects with her essence, which leads him to explore and create.
Boredom triggers the imagination, gives the opportunity to find solutions for oneself.
Children and young people who learn to deal with neglect usually end up being more tolerant, patient, happy and have better self-knowledge and self-regulation.
They are much more flexible and are able to manage time better.
On many occasions, listening to them constantly ask what plans their parents have for them or having to combine work with their care leads to the use of screens at home being abused.
An easy and comfortable alternative so that they can be entertained and not bother us.
Screens and boredom, an easy solution to combat it?
In this way, they connect them to the tablet
,
the game console or they put on the television so that they are entertained and the adults get moments of tranquility.
Or also to avoid fights between brothers.
In an erroneous way, they break the rules that had been established on their use, allowing the mobile and digital devices to end up becoming the main refuge to escape boredom.
It is normal that during these summer weeks we can make their use more flexible, but adults must continue to set the time and place where they can use them, in addition to controlling the content they consume.
The key is finding the right balance between usage time and the other activities they can do.
There is no exact rule to calculate how long children should be allowed to use technology, as it will depend on the age of the child and the needs of each family.
A girl interacts with her tablet on the couch.
GETTY
What will be essential is that, as responsible for its use, parents consider how, when and why children use technology at home.
When used in a controlled, educational and safe way, it will not only be fun for them, but will become an important source of learning.
If, on the other hand, misuse is made and the content they consume is inappropriate for their age, parents will find themselves facing a serious problem that can interfere very negatively with the development and health of their children.
Parental control apps – there are plenty on the market – can help ensure they are used correctly.
What not to do?
They must never use their use as a prize or as blackmail to get them to pay attention.
Good behavior should not be negotiated and that is why it is important that in these summer months the rules and limits that were established during the school year can be reformulated.
The times of the day in which the use of the mobile phone, tablet or computer will not be allowed must also be marked.
They will not use technology during family lunches and dinners, for example.
In addition, it will be very important to offer them attractive alternatives so that they can use their leisure time correctly, the more options or concerns they have, the less likely they are to resort to screens.
They can be encouraged to do hands-on activities with paints or clay, discover new reading, play board games or, whenever possible, take part in summer camps and do sports or nature activities as a family.
Parents should bear in mind that if during these weeks the children get used to playing the video game console for hours or looking at their mobile devices when the holidays are over and they have to return to the course routine, it will be very difficult to change it.
Bruce Lee said: "We all have time to use or lose and it is our decision what we do with it."
But, once past, time does not recover.
So it is essential that we are able to teach children to make the most of time without the need to be hooked on a screen.
*Sonia López is a teacher, psychopedagogue and educational disseminator.
She is the mother of two teenagers.
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