Some Kids Are Bored at School

Originally posted September 9, 2011

My friend’s daughter comes home everyday from school and begs not to go back. We have all heard that from our kids but when you hear it everyday it bears investigation. What is the impetus for this plea? Is she being bullied? Is she having trouble understanding, hearing, seeing? Does she need glasses or just a good, hard talking to about life and the things we HAVE to do? 

It’s become apparent over the weeks and months that this kid is so bored it makes her sad. Truly sad and bordering scarily on being downright depressed. She's all of nine.

School is not serving up anything that whets her appetite. Out of the classroom she is self-directed and finds things that she can immerse herself in for hours; googling and reading and watching anything and everything she can find on a subject she loves. Animal behaviour, the history of a far off country, the culture of a people she will likely never encounter - none of which are topics that will ever be brought up in elementary school let alone studied in depth to the degree that this kid digs on her own.

Forced to keep going to a place that does not engage her she will eventually lose the desire to learn altogether. 

Everyday our children show themselves as being what they truly are, what we all are when we are young - curious. We are born with inquiring minds. Just watch a two year old explore his environment. He touches, tastes and smells it all to discover, not be shown, all the amazing things around him. When these innate energies are stifled we begin to wither.

Can there be anything more heart breaking than to watch our children slowly become more and more bored with their young lives? 

If you are curious about your children and they ways in which they like to learn and what you can do to stimulate those appetites, read this great article entitled The Educational Value of Creative Disobedience