Time to be Bored by Nicola Foster
The children's father and I have become increasingly conscious that the children are losing their childhoods to their DS's, Club Penguin and inane American TV. One evening, after a particularly screen based day, we cast our minds back to our childhoods, a time technologically unrecognisable from now - limited television, Pac Man and Etch a Sketch. Fast-forward to 2010 where children are surrounded by multi-channel children's TV, the internet, portable DVD players and games consoles.
Talk drifted to our childhood holidays, which involved spending several mind-numbingly boring days in the car. I remember my brother and I being driven to Germany equipped with only a colouring pad and pencils. The only other entertainment for 2 ½ days was devising increasingly innovative ways of inflicting pain on each other and then dodging a parental arm as it flailed about trying to whack a knee. We were lucky - at least we had seats. The children's father recalled his annual trips to France, where he and his brother would have to lie; one across the back seat and one across the foot-well which had been bolstered up with pillows. They would remain like this for 3 days, stopping only for lunches of French bread and camembert. There were no in-car DVD players or Happy Meal pit stops to keep them entertained.
We reluctantly acknowledged that although this technology certainly makes our lives easier, we should introduce the children to a little boredom and self reliance. I don't advocate returning to the days of lying on the floor of a car for 3 days, but playing in the garden in all weathers or a short trip without games consoles would be a start.
My efforts kicked off the next day and, with spring now upon us, the children were thrown outside to "play". After skulking about for a bit, I soon heard shrieks of laughter and got a little self congratulatory until I saw the 9 year old shinning up a rather flimsy tree with an 8 foot wooden cane trying to spear the 7 year olds pink teddy which was impaled on the top branch, having played "who can throw it the highest from the trampoline". 2010 Health & Safety mother halted their game, confiscated the cane and spent the next 20 minutes trying to retrieve the teddy, which wasn't quite in line with the teachings of self reliance and invention, which they were actually doing ok with.
Later that week we went to Knowsley, with just our wits for entertainment. We managed all of 5 minutes when the 7 year old asked if we were nearly there yet, despite the fact we hadn't reached the motorway. I suggested we play "the Mini" game. A simple game counting Minis but which, for us, mutates into a monumental argument. After ten minutes I could stand no more and called a halt to the game. he remainder of the journey was spent with everyone in a strop and lots of glaring and elbow nudging in the back, as blame was silently apportioned.
On reflection, I think we are more dependent on these gizmos than the children. I cannot imagine my parents enjoyed travelling long distances with their children any more than we do, but they didn't have the technology available to make it easier. My brother and I still laugh about the time my mum (a notorious observer of the speed limit) drove us to Devon at extraordinarily high speeds, which makes me suspect she was enduring precisely the type of journey portable DVD players were invented for.V