Boredom gets a bad reputation in modern parenting. Kids hate it, adults avoid it, and screens are always within reach to fill the quiet.

In this Parents of the Year episode, Andrew and Caroline pull back the curtain on what boredom really does for kids’ brains—and for ours as adults. They talk honestly about ADHD, distress tolerance, screen overload, and why we don’t need to be our kids’ entertainment directors.

You’ll hear:

• How boredom can feel physically painful for many kids and adults (especially with ADHD)
• How distress tolerance and emotion regulation show up when kids say “I’m bored!”
• The brain’s default mode network and why mind-wandering is essential for creativity and problem-solving
• Why constant stimulation (screens, podcasts, social media) can quietly erode focus, patience, and mental health
• Practical ways families can build screen-free “nothing time” into daily life without power struggles

Give kids space to explore, create, and figure stuff out—without a device in sight.

Homework Ideas

🧩 Schedule “Alone Time” Blocks (for Kids and You)

Pick one daily block (start with 15–30 minutes):

· No screens

· No parent entertainment

· Kids are free to read, draw, build, daydream, play, or putter

Tell them:

“This is your time to figure out what to do. I’m not going to fill it.”

For you: use that same block to do one simple thing without a device:

· Make tea

· Tidy a corner

· Sit and stare out a window

· Flip through a physical book

🧩 Do a “Screen Audit” of Hidden Moments

For 1–2 days, notice when you automatically reach for your phone:

· In the bathroom

· While eating

· While waiting in the car or pickup line

· In bed at night or first thing in the morning

Ask aloud:

“Why am I picking up my phone right now? What do I actually need to do?”

If it’s not essential, practice putting it down and just being there. This is exactly the skill we want kids to build.

🧩 Drive or Walk Without Audio

Choose one of these and do it once or twice a week:

· A drive with everything off—no podcast, no music, no audiobook

· A walk without headphones or scrolling

Notice:

· How quickly you want to fill the silence

· What thoughts pop up when your mind wanders

· How your nervous system feels afterward

Share that with your kids:

“I drove in total quiet today. My brain really needed that break.”

🧩 Create a Helpful Space

Set up a shelf, basket, or corner with non-screen options kids can choose from when they’re “bored”:

· Simple craft supplies

· Blank paper, markers, tape

· Building materials

· Puzzles or open-ended toys

· A few books or magazines

Your script when they say “I’m bored”:

“Good. That’s your brain asking for something new. Go see what your brain can come up with.”

🧩 Protect Bedroom

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