What Should I Do If I'm Bored? Turning a Boring Summer Day Into Something Good
A bonus What Should I Do If episode for the long days of summer. Pastor Justin walks kids through what to do when boredom hits, showing them that a boring afternoon is not an emergency but an invitation to create, help, and spend time with God.
For Parents
It is the middle of summer, and you have already heard “I'm bored” more times than you can count, usually right when you are on a call or making lunch. This bonus episode meets your kid in that exact moment and hands them four things to actually try, from creating something with their hands to finding someone to help. It also reminds them that a boring afternoon is not a wasted one. Next time they say it, ask which of the four they want to try first.
The One Thing for the Ride
“Boredom is not an emergency. It's an invitation, and God can use a blank afternoon to do something good.”
Scripture
Ecclesiastes 9:10
CSB
Key Takeaways
- Boredom is normal and not a bad thing. Summer has no school rhythm, so slow, empty days are going to happen.
- Screens usually make boredom worse, not better. They feed the empty feeling instead of filling it.
- A boring afternoon is an invitation, not an emergency. It is a blank canvas for building, creating, and helping.
- Four simple moves for a bored kid: take a breath and name the feeling, create something with your hands, find someone to help, and open the Bible.
- Even David's boring shepherd days were training time. God used the slow afternoons to get him ready for the giant.
Try This Week
- Stop and take a breath, then figure out what is really going on. Sometimes you are not bored, you are tired, sad, or missing a friend.
- Create something with your hands. Put the screen down and build, draw, or write something.
- Find someone to invite or help, like a bored sibling or a parent who could use a hand.
- Open your Bible and talk to God. Start with the Book of Matthew.
Talk It Over
What's one thing you could make, fix, or do with your hands this week that could fill a boring afternoon better than a screen or a video game?
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