Why does a bored kid, or the threat of a bored kid strike fear into the hearts of parents? Part of the reason is that the attention economy (aka Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, your smartphone) has erased boredom from adult lives. Parents forget the joy and benefits of a quiet moment because they are vanishingly rare. Another, more obvious reason is that a bored kid is an annoying kid. They will turn to you for stimulation (Just one more movie, pleeeease?). Don’t give it to them. Boredom is a good, even essential thing for developing brains — for all brains, really. Let us count the ways.

Click logo below to read more.