When Your Kid Says “I’m Boredddd!”

Becky Kennedy· Host0:00

I'm bored. Mom, I'm so bored. Dad, there's nothing to do. It's so boring. Okay, you are not alone if this is so triggering, but also relatively common. And yes, our kids are bored more often than we were as kids, because their lives are actually so much more stimulating. So the situation that leads them to feel bored is just so much more common, because there's so much stuff, so much dopamine, so many activities all around them. I am so excited to completely reframe the discussion around boredom, because by the end of today, you're going to start seeing your kids' boredom complaints as a good thing, as a sign that you're doing this parenting thing exactly right. I have brought in Lizzie Asa for this conversation. She is an expert on independent play and boredom, and she breaks down these topics in a way that makes so much sense, but also feels totally new and relieving. This is a conversation you're going to use right away in your home. I'm Dr. Becky, and this is Good Inside. We'll be back right after this. Let's just start with maybe what boredom's about. Like what is really happening in this moment, and when you hear a parent talk about their kid who's bored, like where does your mind start to go?

Lizzie Assa· Guest1:21

You know, I have to laugh, because my own kids will still say to me like, "Mom, I'm bored." And every time I'm like, "Guys, [laughs]