If you’ve ever heard the words “I’m bored” on repeat (pronounced “I’m booooooooored“), you know it’s both a declaration of war (on you) and a promise of creativity (by the kids). In our house, those two words echo right before something wild happens.

Imagine this scenario. You just settle down to sit on the couch with a hot cup of coffee. It is 745am on Saturday morning. You are just taking your first glorious sip when you hear that dreaded phrase. “I’m booooooored!” Ugh. ALREADY??

First comes the whining, the long drawn-out sighs, the dramatic flops on the floor, the side-eye because apparently, I am the one responsible for their lack of entertainment. Why oh why did I not have a play room full of toys and gadgets for them?! WHY?

I try to stay patient, reminding myself that this is the moment before the magic sparks. It is hard in that moment to hear all the whining, the blame, the crying. Deep breath. If I hold my ground and resist suggesting an activity, something incredible usually unfolds.

Within minutes, the boredom transforms. I hear one of them calling for the others to join them in the play room. It sort of reminds me of those Marvel scenes when someone yells, “Avengers, assemble!” The soft couch in the play room flips over, cushions scattered like stepping stones across the floor which is now lava. Suddenly, I’m watching them leap, tumble, and invent rules to a game that makes absolutely no sense but has everyone laughing. I stand there monitoring, to make sure no one breaks their head, lots of yelling really by me, but the magical glee brings a smile to my face.

Those moments of boredom really spark the most creative bursts of joy!

On other days, they turn the play room into a restaurant. They drag chairs, move their play kitchen, rehome the couch and changing station onto the corners they desire, scribble menus, take orders on sticky notes, and yell, “Mama, do you want coffee or alcohol? Do you want spicy sauce on it?!” I pretend to dine while secretly soaking in how their minds turn nothing into something (and marvel at the fact that they know mama needs coffee or alcohol!!) It is a bit of mess to clean up, but here is where I remind my husband that this is an easy ‘yes’ we can give the kids. An easy ‘yes’ turns into an hour of fun, and the boys know they have to assist in the clean up.

It’s a good reminder that boredom isn’t the enemy. Instead, boredom is like the soil where imagination can grow. It totally is easier to give in and come up with an activity or just give a treat to quiet the noise. It just takes a moment, to be patient, to sit through the complaining, to watch the eye rolls, where I can witness that spark. That beautiful shift from stillness to wonder, from “I’m bored” to “Look what we made!”

I am very guilty of wanting to take the easier way out, partly because I am tired and just want to sit and also because the whining can be very overwhelming. My husband and I both sometimes just give in, but we also remind each other to just wait that extra moment. He would even suggest we go out for a bike ride, where they begin to go on a mission looking for bugs and random rocks. I usually find said rocks in the laundry later, along with glitter pipe cleaners and crayons, clinging to my clean clothes. It is just all part of the game!

I even try to limit the amount of toys that come into the home, because we have sooo many now. It’s wonderful that the kids have loved ones wanting to pamper them, but it is so wasteful to see how they play with the toy of the day for one minute and onto an old one. Sometimes I hide old toys in a gift bag and hide it in the closet, and if the kids are super cranky or whiney, we go ‘shopping’ in said closet. They think it is the best day ever for getting a ‘new’ toy, and it ends up being a win win situation for everyone! Or pro tip, Costco diaper boxes have cartoons to color on the inside and you can make bigger boxes into cars for the kids to ride in! The imaginative designs of cardboard boxes sometimes are worth more than a new toy from the store!

Another thing I find that helps is the power of ‘yes’. If we do a simple ‘yes’ to certain activities, then the ‘no’ really means serious business when we have to say it. I try my hardest to say yes as much as I can, so that no really sticks when it is needed. It’s not the easiest though, to always be on while parenting, to try to be on top of it at all times. It is beautiful though to see how their imagination runs wild when given the opportunity.

Remember, it doesn’t have to work out perfectly. You also need to take a moment for yourself, so if that screen time or treat needs to come out to give yourself some space, that is totally okay! Our brains need rest just like theirs needs stimulation. It is all a part of the circle of life.

So now, when I hear “I’m booooooored” echo through the house, I try to smile (after the deep sigh, of course). Because I know what’s coming next, since in our home, boredom is just the opener act before creativity takes the stage. So embrace the boredom, as then the wonder will follow!