Summertime Boredom Buster

"I'm bo-red," Grace, 6, whined at me for the third time before noon on the second day of summer break. Kids just don't seem to appreciate good ol' downtime like mothers do, so I knew I had to come up with a plan to nip the ennui in the bud.

At the end of Grace's kindergarten year, her teacher presented each child with a spiral-bound copy of his or her journal for the year. It's amazing to read through it and see the progression of Grace's entries, which begin only as drawings and random letter forms and progressively morph into coherent sentences about her life, replete with illustrations.

Seeing the journal on the counter, I was struck with an idea that would encourage Grace to keep up some of the discipline of the school year and also help her endure the burden of carefree summer play and relaxation (a.k.a. "boredom" to Grace).

I purchased a pretty, oversized blank journal from my favorite source, www.flaxart.com, along with a set of markers and colored pencils that we reserve only for using in her special book. We wrote "Summer 2007 by Grace" on the front with a large marker.

At least twice a week, and often more frequently, Grace sits down to write and draw about something that's going on. She adds flourishes like leaves she's collected, photos, ticket stubs and even candy labels. Grace is already planning to ask her cousins for contributions to the journal on our next trip to see family.

It's inspiring to see her so engaged in self-expression and creativity. And whenever I get the, "Mama, there's nothing to do," complaint, I have a handy suggestion that's far more compelling than cleaning her room or playing with her little brother.

The other day I read an entry that simply had the date and the words, "Today, I was bored." The page boasts a frame of colorful doodles and elaborate butterflies that's anything but boring. I laughed and thought how glad I was to find boredom was in the past tense.