When I was little my mother used to say it did me no harm to be bored from time to time. She was right because aside from learning to sit with the uncomfortable feeling, it really did help me to use my own imagination and find things to do.

Sometimes I am busy with one child or there is a home task in hand that needs my attention. The girls know at certain times of the day I am less available.

But on those days when it seems they are doing little and learning nothing I am always delighted to hear their conversations as they chat about things we’ve discussed previously or find them incorporating some new element into a game because they know something more about it today.

I am always thrilled to find that when they get “fed up, being fed up”, they will find things to do that always involve design, strengthening family bonds or self development.

Like today. Why waste the sunshine when you can battle it out with a water fight?

Why not make some earrings to sell at the village market or help your Teddy get ready for bed by making them their own sleeping mask? What about creating a gift for Daddy?

There was also time made for past paper practice, a cafe treat, selecting the right dog food, eggs and box of broken biscuits from the farm shop. Bedrooms tidied and tablets played with (after they have been abandoned by choice for a few weeks in place of outdoor adventures.) Even trying out a lemonade recipe.

All while seemingly doing nothing!

Leaving me time to harvest heartsease for pressing and drying, marking a past paper, cleaning the oven, bread making, giving the dogs fur coat a trim, guitar practice and trying out some new clean eating recipes.

© 2025 Juliette Proffitt
THE ABOVE WAS WRITTEN BY AND REMAINS THE PROPERTY OF THE AUTHOR. IT SHOULD NOT BE COPIED EXCEPT BY THE SHARING OF THIS BLOG POST WITH CREDIT