From Idle Speed, Imagination Sparks

The fort was partially hidden under some trees in a wooded area close to a suburban neighborhood. The children had surrounded an old rug with worn chairs. It was early morning when the adults stumbled upon the fort and their imaginations churned.

Had the children pretended that the chairs and rugs were in a castle? A spaceship? Perhaps something more mundane, like a living room? And who had the children pretended to be while playing in the fort? Superheroes? Aliens? Maybe grown-ups at a meeting? Nah, let’s hope not.

School’s out for the summer. It’s seductive to grow nostalgic about summer vacations when you look back upon them from an adult perspective. But as historian David McCullough said: “There was no simpler time. It may seem simpler to us, but it certainly didn’t seem simple to them.” Still, it is true that young people today are often scheduled to oblivion, far more than any other generation before them. The opportunities for activities simply didn’t exist in such numbers in the past. Now, kids can choose from summer camps for every interest - sports, computers, even space camps. They could fill every minute with something.

But parents shouldn’t forget that children need down time, too. They’ve just come off a school year that was more stressful than most, thanks to the Columbine High School shootings and the bomb scares at Inland Northwest schools. They need time to process the year and move into summer vacation mode.

Parents shouldn’t fear children who get bored in summer. Or overreact by throwing more activities their way when they hear the familiar whine: “But there’s nothing to do!” Many child-life experts are warning against overscheduling children; John Rosemond calls it “Frantic Family Syndrome” and says children are developing skills at the expense of character. He and other experts urge more time for kids to just hang around the family and their neighborhood.

When children feel bored, it sometimes ignites their imagination. Perhaps today’s parents fear too much that idleness will lead to danger: Internet surfing, vandalism, seeking out trouble.

We need to give children more credit. They also fill boring time with creativity, if given the chance and encouragement. They build forts, trek to the library for some books, take long bike rides, watch clouds, watch the stars, hang out with the adults in their lives, simply because it’s better than doing nothing.

Let them be.