What our kids are losing - and how we can help them get it back

8/18/2026

Anne Glass, Head of School

Anne Glass, head of school at The Roeper School in Birmingham, says that what kids need most this summer isn’t more camps, more screens or more structure —
it’s the freedom to be a little bored.

Originally published in Metro Parent on July 24, 2026.

Childhood boredom doesn’t have a great reputation—but those quiet, unscheduled moments used to be a normal part of growing up. Today, they’re much harder to find.

As summer begins, many parents find themselves facing a familiar question: How much of their children's time should be scheduled? Camps, sports, enrichment programs, vacations, and screen time all compete for attention. Yet summer also offers something increasingly rare in children's lives: unscripted hours with nowhere particular to be and nothing specific to do.

When we think about the challenges facing children and teens, we often point to the pandemic, social media, and screen time. Those factors matter—but they don’t tell the whole story. What’s really changing is how children spend their time, and what’s quietly slipping away: independence, unstructured play, and real, in-person connection with peers.

Parents and teachers are noticing the effects. Many students struggle to sustain focus. Reading an entire novel has become a daunting task and requires extended time. Social situations can feel more uncomfortable. Conversations, especially with adults, have become awkward. Time management and motivation don’t always come naturally, and curiosity can give way to a focus on external rewards like grades, rather than internal satisfaction.

None of this may seem alarming on its own. Taken together, however, it points to a deeper concern: Many children have fewer opportunities for independent experiences that help them develop agency. Patience, confidence in their own thinking, problem-solving, and the belief that "I can figure this out" are cultivated when young people have the freedom to explore, struggle, reflect, and sometimes even be bored.

Part of the issue is that today’s kids are rarely bored. And that’s not a good thing.

When every moment is filled - with activities, social media notifications and more – there is little room left to think, imagine, and reflect. It becomes easier to consume rather than create. Constant pressure to compare creeps in. Scrolling replaces making and imagining. Low-level anxiety and fear of missing out can take hold.

Over time, these circumstances shape how children spend their time and see themselves.

At the same time, unstructured, figure-it-out play—the kind that once filled afternoons—has faded. Yet this is where important growth happens. When kids have space, they learn to think creatively, work through frustration, navigate social situations, and follow their ideas. Most importantly, they begin to trust themselves to make choices and decisions. That confidence comes not from being told what to do, but from trying, adjusting, and trying again.

Without these experiences, children can become more dependent on direction and less comfortable with uncertainty, a ubiquitous aspect of life. Opportunities to make mistakes, recover, and persist are fewer. These experiences lead to the development of important life skills.

The pandemic intensified these trends by disrupting key years of social and academic development. But many of these shifts were already underway, accelerated by the rise of constant digital access.

As families head into summer, this creates an opportunity. Rather than viewing every open hour as time that must be filled, we might see some of that empty space as valuable. Summer can become a laboratory for independence, creativity, and self-discovery—if we allow it.

So where does this leave us?

There’s no single solution—but small shifts can make a meaningful difference.

We can allow space for boredom instead of immediately filling it. Leaving parts of the day unscheduled gives children room to think and create. Yes, this may mean a period of transition filled with frustration for both kids and parents, but I assert it is worth it. Growth often requires friction. We can also step back at times, allowing our kids to struggle productively, make decisions, and learn from mistakes.

Our conversations matter, too. Focusing not just on outcomes, but on process—share out loud what felt hard, what you tried, what you might do differently next time—helps build reflection and resilience.

Technology is part of our lives, so it helps to talk about it openly. Conversations about when it’s useful, when it distracts, and how to make thoughtful choices are productive and build open relationships.

As always, children are watching us. How we handle frustration, disagreement, and curiosity shapes how they learn to handle similar challenges.

At Roeper, we are strengthening opportunities for movement and play. Beginning next year, we’re expanding our physical education program for Lower School students. Research shows that active movement supports attention and learning, and we see this as an important part of our program.

I asked PK-12 students at Roeper how they like to spend their free time. Specific responses included, “time with friends and family,” “games with my friends,” “ride my bike,” “read a book,” and simply undefined “free time.” But the most used word across all ages was, “PLAY.” That should tell all of us grown-ups something. Our kids are asking for more free time to simply play.

My most treasured memories of my own childhood include bike riding, writing in my diary, playing piano, and singing and dancing like no one was watching (because no one was.) Of course, this was a different time. There were no smart phones. In fact, my family had one phone, and it was attached to the wall in the kitchen. “Caller ID” was a miraculous innovation.

Ultimately, kids of all ages are not asking for more directed activities or screen time. They want free time to spend as they choose: interacting with the people they care about, playing games and sports, and – yes – simply being alone. In that space, they can begin to understand themselves, discover what matters to them, and strengthen the relationships that give their lives meaning.

I argue that we should give our kids that sacred time.

It’s an issue that shows up in classrooms, friendships, and at home. It’s about listening, balancing needs, navigating disagreement, and finding common ground. These are skills that matter far beyond school.

Ultimately, our goal is not just to help children succeed academically, but to help them become thoughtful, capable, and connected people.

And sometimes, what they need most isn’t more structure or more input.

It’s a little more time. A little more space. And yes—even a little more boredom.

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What our kids are losing - and how we can help them get it back

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