June 21, 2023 | 0 min read
You did it – you and your family made it through another school year, complete with after-school activities, lots of learning, and a neverending schedule. While summer has a timetable of its own on the horizon, we wanted to remind you that it’s OK to take a moment to rest, recharge, and relish in all of the accomplishments of the last year.
Throughout the school year, it can feel like a constant marathon – always pushing our kids to finish up something in order to get to the next activity that *needs to be done*. But in our fast-paced world, giving our kids the gift of doing nothing can be a gamechanger.
Not only for us as parents to get a moment to slow down, but also, for our kids, who have been sprinting on a so-called hamster wheel for the last 9 or 10 months.
What can embracing a break mean for our kids? Here’s some of the benefits that come with doing nothing –
1. “Wasting Time” Helps Recharge Your Battery & Declutter Your Mind
Our society tells us that if you aren’t doing something *productive*, you’re wasting your time. Contrary to this narrative, psychologists have highlighted that simple activities like going for a walk, flipping through a magazine, or doing nothing are actually time well-spent.
2. Kids Needs Opportunities To Daydream
While we may not think of it this way, daydreaming is an important form of rest – and it can be extremely beneficial to our children’s academic, emotional, and creative lives. With mental downtime, kids’ minds can wander freely, without interruption, and this unhindered thinking can lead them to unlocking creative ideas and deep learning.
3. Doing Nothing Benefits Our Kids’ Mental Health
Studies have shown that giving kids the chance to do nothing, instead of scheduling them in back-to-back activities, is actually better for their brain health. These moments of downtime are key to allowing kids the chance to de-stress – this can help reduce their meltdowns because they’ve had the chance to calm down and relax on a deeper level.
Of course, nothing is good if it’s done to no end without any sort of balance. While doing nothing is important, activities also play an important part in our summers. But remember – some of the summer should be about the basics: lots of rest and play, and no homework.
In today’s world, we are fearful of “downtime” when these moments can actually be helpful to allow our creativity to spark. Take the stress out of the nonstop planning for you, and welcome the benefits of doing nothing for your kids. Let them discover all the ways they can get creative on their own, and let go of the pressure to always need to do something.
If you’re curious to learn more, here’s some of the research & ideas we refer to above –
Written by: City Threads Cofounders Shayna Samuels & Joe Willis, and Kestrel Jenkins, responsibility consultant & host of the Conscious Chatter podcast.