Down time, where has it gone?

Namaste parents, carers and teachers ,today I’d like to discuss the importance of down time or being bored.
As our world seems to be continually speeding up and the amount of information we are taking in is increasing by the year we have found ourselves in a mental health dilemma. Young and old. no one has escaped the information highway … but who knows where it’s leading us?

I embrace all the amazing attributes of this new age of instant information, shopping online , sharing a conversation with a loved one 1000 miles away asking Siri her views on God but recognise it’s causing a serious addiction to always be looking for something to think about , feel good about or go seek out and do.

Downtime has almost become a concept of the past. Every moment seems like an opportunity to be doing, doing, doing! We are not wired to be constantly on, our brain needs to rest , recuperate and be still and I’m not talking about sleeping! Sleeping seems to be the only time now when most of us actually stop…. And collapse !Ahhhhh thank goodness you think as you literally fall into bed… to do it all again!

Who would have thought that 20 years ago we couldn’t leave home without our phone, that our kids start screaming for their IPad not their colouring books.

We have to recognise that down time or as children love to put being totally bored!! , is an important part of childhood development helping them learn valuable skills such as self- reliance and creativity, as well the importance of time management.

When children are given the freedom to explore and be creative without the constant stimulation of technology, they can discover their passions and interests in life.Without boredom, they can become dependent on technology and miss out on important sensory experiences. As a parent not always being the entertainment officer ,puts the responsibility on the child allowing them to find their own way to pass the the time. This helps to promote self reliance, independence and self discipline. All helping to shape a strong young individual who has the ability to think for themselves and appreciate the benefits of down time.

Limit technology to only certain times of the day.
Avoid high stimulation video games before bed.
Keep iPads and laptops out of children’s bedrooms
Sit with your child and relax together, make a list of activities they can do when they have some down time.
For example

• Cooking
• Drawing
• Gardening
• Building with Lego
• Reading

Sending love and light
Tanya Bianch