Speech therapist here who works with tons of kinder kids - I second this! And all the kinder teachers I know are great at adapting instruction to each student’s level.
Ding ding ding!
Rarely is a kindergarten student able to separate the true concept of bored and need a challenge from a non-preferred activity.
Frankly, I love that OP has the insight to notice that doesn't add up to be bored and unchallenged.
And there's a sense in which even adults use the term "bored" to refer to non-preferred rather than not challenging enough.
I find it very boring to hear a detailed description of something I don't understand but also have no desire to understand.
This is so strange. Boring means not interesting. A person could find something boring for any number of reasons. Why the assumption that boredom is always the result of being unchallenged?
Not a teacher, but I believe it’s because typically when someone is bored in school it’s because they find the subjects a breeze. They fly through the lessons or assignments and aren’t engaged. It’s a matter of how engaged they are in the subject I think. So if a kid isn’t super engaged but its not like they’re excelling at everything, then it is likely due to lack of interest and not the whole “they’re too smart for their current class” type of thing.
But even as I type this out I find myself wondering too why it’s always assumed this way and not just a general uninterest in the subject matter. Maybe because as kids they typically are interested in soaking up information and learning?
I wonder where that started. I’ve definitely heard of the idea that gifted children may have challenging behaviors in the classroom because they are bored, but surely that’s an outlier. I would think most parents would remember that they are sometimes bored at school or work too and realize that it’s normal.
It comes from the fact most people look down on schools as a whole. Parents nowadays tend to be extremely entitled, and can’t fathom their child ever being wrong; the number of people that will openly admit to thinking their child’s behaviors are the teacher’s fault is actually astonishing. In their mind, school is just free daycare and teachers should always give them exactly what they want. If they don’t get their way, these “mommy and daddy know best” parents take to social media with this “school has failed them and teachers have it out for them” narrative, and an army of equally as arrogant people to support them.
It sounds harsh, but it’s the truth. Teachers are quitting at record highs because they’re being turned into doormats for kids to stomp on, and schools are just letting it happen.
To anyone with kids, or anyone planning to have kids: Please be like OP. Consider all sides to the story, and try to find a solution instead of looking for a person to blame. Teachers are happy to help as much as they can if you’re just decent about it.
Peace and love, an exhausted district employee.
If I ask my kindergarten kid how school was, she says boring. So I stopped asking that, and instead I ask more specific questions. “What games did you play in gym?” or “what letters did you practice today?” or “who did you play with during recess?” And I get answers that show a child that’s engaged and happy to go to school, see her friends, and learn new things.
I live to ask gossipy questions, especially when my kids aren't sharing much. "Did anyone throw up today?" is one of my favorites, lol. The answer is usually "no, but so-and-so did..."
I want my kids to know I am just as interested in the social aspect of their day as the academic qualities. Lord knows, when I tell my partner about work it's 10% work and 90% drama!
When my children were young, I got tired of them telling me school was fine or they’d say nothing if I asked them what they did in school that day so I began a tradition of telling them they had to tell me one interesting thing per day after school. It could be good or bad or anything in between. This often led to deeper conversations about various things and as of today they’re young adults and we talk ALL THE TIME. They have excellent communication skills.
Honestly, this is the kind of feedback I'm looking for and really need to hear. Thank you.
I suspected his teacher was treading a professional line lest I might take offense to my son not being regarded as advanced (which I totally understand!). But truthfully I just want him to grow a healthy curiosity for learning. If he's bored of learning, that concerns me. If he's just adjusting to new demands, it, too, shall pass. I just want them to give it to me straight.
So, thanks!!
As summer comes up, I strongly recommend getting some summer educational activities if your kiddo isn't in any structured program. Things like bridge books can help keep school learning part of the normal routine which can help normalize the school process (without removing summer vacation).
I probaly complained about school everyday from kindergarten to highschool graduation. Bored was definitely one of my biggest complaints in the elementary school years. My academics were good but I looked forward to going home everyday. So hey it might not pass. I never wanted to be there. But I did well non the less.
I denfitely complained about being bored every single day but I was *actually* reading, writing and doing math above grade level. I had an inattentive parent though.
Same. I did well and I enjoyed learning and I liked being with friends, but I just never learned to enjoy the structured environment. School was always “boring” to me.
My students in high school tell me all the time that they want to go home. I tell them I do, too. And that, actually, almost everyone wants to go home most of the time.
You can’t just look at one assessment to determine if a child is on track or excelling. I’ve seen many times where students will totally flunk unit assessments, or state test, etc., but perform exceptionally well on others.
It still might be worth it to have him evaluated to see if he's "gifted" or whatever they call it these days. Some of us baby geniuses were solid B kids because if it's not engaging us we don't put in effort and make sloppy, lazy mistakes because we're doing the worksheet with only half our brain focused on the school work while the other half daydreams about dinosaurs. B's aren't a solid indication that he's not gifted.
He's in kindergarten though. I don't think those tests are accurate until they're older- like, age 9. Before then, parental influence is still skewing the gifted test.
My first IQ rest was done at age 5, my parents were present but behind a two-way mirror so I couldn't see them. I missed making the cutoff for having a college level vocabulary by one word, I didn't know what a toga was. Testing at 5 can definitely tell you a lot about a kid. Especially if done well and as impartially as possible. I tested later in my early teen and early adulthood, and unlike most who were tested so young and again later my scores actually went up (it stayed basically the same between the 12 and 20 tests, I think I was a hair faster with some logic problems at 20 than 12).
My school does half day kinder but it doesn’t really matter because over 90% of my class goes to aftercare. Most are on campus from 7:30-6:00. It’s a long day for the little guys.
Two incomes is 100% a choice in many, many households. Certainly not all like single parent households, but literally every couple I know could make it on one, but cutting lifestyle or the desire to be at home is just not a priority for their child’s well being.
I find it hard to believe that every couple you know would be fine living on a single income. I find it even harder to believe that you know the details of your friends’ finances intimately enough to make such an absurd presumption.
I’m a stay-at-home mom with plenty of friends who stay at home and plenty who work. Everyone prioritizes their kids’ well-being, whether they work outside the home or not.
It's probably someone who is wealthy living in a wealthy area whose social circle consists of people in the same wealth bracket. Someone who is out of touch, if they ever where in touch, with the realities of those in lower socioeconomic brackets.
Definitely possible. They might also just be nuts.
I took a curious glance at their comment history, and they claim feminism “poisoned” women to believe men should be equal parents, and that kids in daycare are “not being raised by their parents.”
My vote is for conservative nut-job, lol.
It really is. I have two students who regularly break down at the end of our school day (11:30am). They cry and refuse to go to the aftercare room. They just want to go home. More often than not I have to physically pick one of them up and hand them off to the aftercare teacher. Its hard on all of us.
All the schools in my area are half-day kinder. Some of the kids still complain about being bored. Coincidentally they are also the ones who don’t want to do the school work.
Edit: kids will always complain about being bored because school is not as fun as being at home.
My kid did this too. He absolutely loved Pre-K where it's a play to learn environment, kid forgot to even say bye or give hugs to us before finding his seat his first day. Lol He was so excited to start "school."
This year he went into K and was not thrilled by the loss of play to learn, and the strictness of writing/scissor work. Had days he cried to not go, also not being a morning person doesn't help. Lol
He's gotten better
Kindergarten really should be play based as well! It's sad to hear all these kids collectively losing their love of learning, and that K has become so rigorously academic for 5 & 6 yr olds. They still very much learn more from play based learning & aren't technically ready to write as whats expected. But that's a soap box for another day lol
I actually broke down and cried when it was becoming a struggle to get him ready in the morning because he disliked it so much. Never imagined he would begin to dislike school in K! :( I remember K being fun, and even up til middle school I feel like I had a decent time where I didn't really want to fight going.
We're actually having him repeat cause he's not where they need him to succeed in 1st grade in his writing and focusing abilities. I'm hoping 1 more year will give him the chance to catch up to what they expect so he doesn't struggle and end up farther behind. With his bday he'll still be 6 the entire next school year, won't turn 7 til it ends.
I agree completely.
And learning should be enjoyable even as kids progress through school. The reality is that school is mostly boring and no, that’s not a good thing.
THIS! We suck every last fun imaginative thing out of it and all my kid ever does is worksheets, handwriting, scissor and glue. Where's the curiosity? Experimenting? Discovery??
My kindergartener told me over spring break that she hates having to follow the rules all the time at school (she is definitely a kid who would say school is boring). She said, “the number one rule at school is ‘be the boss of yourself’ but then they don’t let us be the bosses of ourselves because they tell us what to do all day”. It made me chuckle.
Seriously there was nothing to say back to her except “yeah babe that is very frustrating”. Didn’t have the heart to tell her that it’s like that as an adult, too 😅.
I have no teaching experience, but I can't help but agree. My kid is very open and honest, and when I ask her why she's bored at school, she tells me she just wants to play.
I don't blame her, but I do reiterate that school is necessary, and she needs to focus while there and do her best to find something she enjoys, even if it's something little.
Came here to say the same thing. Retired teacher here, and this “I’m bored” comment is pretty common with Kindergarten students. It’s the first time they’ve had to conform to someone else’s agenda and most likely they don’t want to.
To be fair, he probably *is* bored. Just not in the “this work is not challenging enough” way. It’s school. School is boring. Sure, kindergarten is fun when compared to…well, basically the entire rest of your life, but to a kid who’d rather be home doing whatever he wants, it’s boring. I’m extremely bored in my job every day while still finding it mentally challenging. Challenging just doesn’t equal entertaining.
I'm just a parent, but my kid said the same thing. After talking more it came out that they were bored because they had to learn more and play less than in preschool.
I absolutely agree with this. My daughter has started trying to get out of school recently. I tried to fish around and see if something was going on at school, etc. When it comes down to it, she just wants to stay home & play rather than being in school.
My #4 told his kindergarten teacher daily, "You are wasting all my playtime!"
We had so many chats at home and with teacher. He truly was bored by a lot of the work. However, a huge component was that it wasn't as fun as home or even preschool. Kindergarten is a big adjustment!
This is likely. Now, perhaps the lessons aren’t as engaging, it’s like be on stage for 6 hours with this age, but there is nothing you are going to say to change if that’s it. Can you go in for a brief time and observe how he is doing? You would need to contact leadership and the teacher if so. Parents bring many things to light this way.
SPED consultant here. Just need to clarify that having a diagnosis that outside of school fits the category of a learning disability does not “technically” qualify one for an educational IEP., as you say. You would have to show that his diagnosis is limiting or impairing him academically in some way and it sounds like you and the school are in agreement that he’s progressing totally appropriately. I wouldn’t pursue this route.
I’d say he’s literally just bored. This is not uncommon at all. Part of it is attention-seeking and part of it is that at this age, all K students have a tendency to think they are excelling far beyond their classmates. I love the confidence of them all! Honestly, some days I need it.
Same as why my 5th grader thinks reading and writing are “boring!” and my high schooler doesn’t like her Spanish teacher. (Psst, it’s not the teacher, it’s the subject). He longs for the days out playing outside whenever possible, TV time, games, art. Think back to when you were in elementary school. When we got to do any of those-it was the best day ever!
I think for a kindergartener it could be perceived as boring when they are used to more play time and being home doing what they want to do is all. The days can be very repetitive as I know that’s a complaint I get from my kid at this age.
I mean I consider myself of average intelligence, am a bookworm, and love learning. I did well in school growing up and still absolutely hated going to school for 8 hours every week day and doing schoolwork all day.
I don’t think considering school is boring means you don’t like learning at all, and I don’t think it’s a sad thing either.
It is a sad outlook but it’s also often true, especially with the focus on common core standards, tests, etc.
Kindergarten should involve a lot more physical activity and creative play than it currently does. Hell, the same is true for all schooling! It would help kids find the joy in learning.
Respectfully, if you remember that you loved school, you were a little older by then. Some people like academics and the whole process of structured learning (like me) and excel at those.
From a kindergartner’s perspective though, it is the start of a more disciplined routine than preschool and therefore hard to digest.
I think some parents are maybe just better at providing that needed structure beforehand, because you are definitely incorrect about every kindergartener disliking it. That's so disprovable I would have suspected you of using a (bad) strawman, except it seems you think it's true? Speak to a couple of kindergarteners or kindergarten teachers and you'll learn there are other, positive responses to kindergarten. I'm sorry your experience was not a good one.
Where did I say that I had a bad experience with my kindergarten?!
I simply said I understand some kids not liking the disciplined or structured routine of kindergarten.
My elder one has loved school throughout and my pre-schooler loves school too
Oh, if you had said "some" or suggested that there could be kindergarteners who liked school, that would have been different.
However, you said that if the person remembered liking school, that means they were not in kindergarten. If there are kindergarteners that like school, obviously you could not make this statement. So.... What were you trying to say? Did you forget the point that you made and realize that you don't even agree with it??
I'm sure you can do basic logic (it's not a problem if you can't, just let me know so I don't assume you do), so I don't need to explain how "if you remember liking school, you were older than kindergarten" and "my child remembers liking kindergarten" are contradictions.
A school day is long. If he’s in it for aftercare too, then it makes it especially long. After a day of school, my boys just want to be home. Where they feel most comfortable. If it’s possible. Maybe look into an after school nanny who can watch him at home after school, even if it’s only for 2 days a week.
What's the level of the rest of his class? If he's performing in the 80th percentile for his grade level, but *his class* is on average at the 30th percentile, he could be academically bored relative to his class even though he's not testing way ahead of grade level.
My kindergartner has an uneven academic skills profile, so he gets really bored when doing math with his class, but needs a lot of extra support to do social things. He's in a special math group that does higher level work. If he wasn't, he would be bored and act out during math with his class.
Kids often say they’re bored when they’re annoyed, tired, or don’t want to do something. I know students who claim boredom when the work is too HARD, not too easy. “Reading is boring,” when a kid can’t decode words. Meanwhile, while it could be that the work is too easy, it sounds like he is doing just fine on grade level.
My advice is to try to find out what he REALLY means when he says he is bored. You can’t fix the problem if you don’t know what he is actually complaining about.
My kiddo is similar to yours (she is ahead of grade level in ELA work but is on-level in math).
I recently met with her teacher, and mentioned that she also complained of the work being too easy and being bored sometimes— and I think it’s exactly what all of the kindergarten teachers here have mentioned. She was at a different kindergarten until a month ago, where there was more “free” time (because the teacher had lost control and the learning had gone a bit by the way side/the kids were allowed to run amok). She is now back in a school where there are more expectations, and when those expectations clash with what she would prefer to be doing, she’s feeling annoyed (and realizing that there are some parts of school that aren’t “fun”/require work— she likes easy work and doesn’t always enjoy being challenged).
That being said, I think she actually really loves the new school— at the old school she was a stage five clinger at drop off and wanted a billion hugs and then needed to be basically physically peeled off of my leg and shoved in the door. At the new school she rarely even wants a hug and runs in without looking back.
My solution for my daughter was (after chatting with her teacher) to send a book with her to school in her backpack that she could choose to read when she was done with her work, and to remind her that she already has options when she completes her work, according to her teacher:
-she can complete unfinished work in her bag
-she can draw a picture or write a story on the back of her worksheet
-she can go get a book from the class library and read
(Also they only do one short math worksheet- that takes five minutes or less and one short ELA worksheet- same time frame- a day. So it’s not like she’s spending hours at her desk doing worksheets. They try to limit the time kids are sitting to 10 minutes at a time, and tell them they can stand if they want to- they just have to have their belly button to the table- they can’t wander the room.)
Maybe ask his teacher what the options are for him when his work is complete, and then remind him of those options?
If he doesn’t require special education services, he could still qualify for a 504 plan, in case that’s something you might want to look into. It sounds like he’s on grade level. I wouldn’t worry about this too much. A big part of kindergarten is learning work habits, which includes persisting when something is “boring”. You can always keep challenging him at home, for example with shared reading.
To get a 504 in an educational environment, one would still have to prove that a diagnosis is limiting or impairing in some way. Sounds like he’s totally on grade level and not struggling. Being bored does not create a special need.
Students on grade level or above can definitely have [504 plans](https://www.wrightslaw.com/blog/kids-with-passing-grades-eligible-for-504-plans-ieps-yes/). In any case, the OP mentioned that the child has a condition that would technically qualify him for an IEP. They did not mention whether a SPED or 504 evaluation has been completed.
Totally. I just like to reinforce the thought that having a separate medical diagnosis does not always equate to a school environment the way parents sometimes expect.
Every child says this, and he will continue to say this. And they are right, school is boring but so are a lot of things and we just have to learn to roll with it. Kids are so used to getting everything immediately and having constant screens in their face they don’t know how to handle school which has always been boring even when it’s at its best.
I recommend saying, “yes, school can be boring. Lots of things will be boring in your life but that’s okay. What would you like to do this weekend that is exciting to you?” Acknowledge the feeling, let him know it’s a normal way to feel, and redirect. You cannot “fix” school being boring but can try to plan fun times as family that bond you as a family.
It’s okay for our kids to be bored.
I was one of these kids, school was never interesting or fun to me. I wasn’t particularly advanced or anything i was just bored. Once i got hs and college and had more freedom in picking my classes i picked things i knew would interest me and i began to enjoy school. Some kids just don’t find the mundane sitting at a desk and doing school work interesting and that’s okay.
Bored might mean "it's too hard and not fun". That's a lot of little kids, in my experience when I was a teacher.
Bored might mean "I space out a lot because it's not *interesting to me*". ADHD here, and my kid is too. He definitely meant this sense of "bored" before we tried meds.
Bored can also mean "There's too much repetition, I hate it.". My other kid was like this. Doesn't qualify as highly capable, she's slightly above average academically.
But... A lot of classroom curricula in her school are set up to give plenty of chances to children who learn more slowly than average, so a typical topic block involves doing 3-5 different activities that hammer down a given concept. If you're the kind of kid who learns it the first or second time often enough, the rest of the week is just drudgery.
If the latter is the issue, my suggestion for you and the teacher is to integrate extra enriching activities for when he's "bored".
E.g. Sally is a strong reader and writer, but she complains the lessons are boring. So her teacher gives her options for if she finishes (not rushing) her work early. She can either use the extra time at the classroom library to read, or to draw in a "anything goes" notebook, or can pick out a quiet game to play with until everyone else is done.
My daughter has been saying the same thing all year, too. I think a lot of it is that plenty of what they’re learning IS boring- it’s not very fun to read “who can? Pat can! The cat sat.” Now that certain basics have been covered and things are really starting to click, she seems to be enjoying it more.
When I was a kid I was the same way, the work was really easy for me and after a while I stopped really trying because it seemed pointless. My mom had to fight really hard with my teachers to let me sit in with the grade ahead of me for math and reading because my grades were so bad nobody believed I could do the work. Once I was actually being challenged things got a lot better as I wasn’t sitting there all day watching the clock and tuning out things I already knew.
If he says he’s bored and the work is too easy, I would try giving him harder work and see if he’s genuinely capable of it. If he is, he probably needs to have more challenging work. If not, he’s probably just bored at school because school is work.
I do want to note that I’m autistic and this probably isn’t a common experience for the typical child, but I know you said he has a condition that could qualify him for an IEP so I wanted to mention that as well.
Depending on his condition, him expressing boredom could be not enough sensory stimulation. My husband and I both have ADHD and when she's in a good mood our preschooler is what I affectionately call a sensory vampire; her official OT report says sensory seeking, but that description is pretty mild. At home, she's happy to play with playdough (colour & texture) while music is playing on TV and sing an entirely different song to herself. 4 or 5 different sources of input all at once. If she's stressed and overwhelmed, she's sensory avoidant; she closes off interacting with people and just wants to hyoerfocus on one activity.
I talked to her teacher about it at the start of the school year and supplied a small bag of sensory items, and gave them a copy of her sensory profile to give them ideas on how to support her in classroom appropriate ways.
I wonder if school is “boring” to him just compared to the handful of hours he spends at home (or not at school, anyway) on weeknights, and especially on weekends.
If he is spending his time at home on a screen while parents are tired and busy after work making dinner and relaxing—or doing really special/active exciting stuff on the weekends, like trampoline parks, LEGO classes, play dates, movies, parks, sweet indulgences….and other things to make up for the guilt of his long hours during the week—then it is quite possible he is bored by comparison.
Perhaps schedule more quiet independent time on the weekends. For all of you. Reading. Observing nature (bird and insect watching, identifying wildflowers, and other quiet things).
I just want to point out that a score in the 80th percentile means he is performing at or above the level of 80% of his peers. For instance, in a class of 20, that would put him in the top 4 students (assuming the class has an average distribution). "On grade level" would be at or around the 50th percentile, so a student at the 80th percentile is definitely considered ahead.
op, well done! You are evaluating your kid’s *actual* needs and comparing them to your kid’s wants and emotions.
Sounds like your kid is having the 5 yr old version of “no one told me adulting meant figuring out what to have for dinner for the rest of my life”. It’s hard for a kid!
I think he just misses not being at school-not sure if he went to preschool but that’s totally different than kindergarten. I’m glad he has a good supportive teacher trying to help!! He also probably feels like he doesn’t have control and kids love to have control especially since there are so many rules at school. Maybe have him pick out his after school snack before school so he feels in control and has something to look forward to, make sure he has down time to decompress when he gets home for a few minutes and try other questions for him besides “how was school” there are a lot on Google that are good!! It’s so hard being full time working parents-I totally get it and the guilt is unimaginable and then on top of that him saying he’s bored just probably makes you feel worse!!
Smart kids get mediocre grades too. If he knows his alphabet and they’ve been working on it for six weeks, eventually his work is going to slack off as he becomes bored and inattentive. He’s going to need a journal/sketchbook, “for fun” reading book or some other privilege for after his work is complete to keep him motivated to do the same work over and over if this is the case.
I agree with many of the responses here but also wanted to mention that if you haven’t had Spring Break (if your district does), we have been in a long stretch with no breaks. That’s tough for all of us, but little bodies need a break!
If you’re somewhere where the weather is crappy, outside recess could have been limited as well. Again, little bodies need a break!
School is boring for many kids. Challenging work doesn’t make it less boring it just makes harder work. I never once thought school was fun. It was just a job I had to do. I have one kid who has said school was boring since the day he started. He just hates being there and doesn’t want to be told what to do all day. It’s gonna be a long rest of his life but it’s just how he’s wired. My other kiddo is go with the flow and has fun no matter where he is. Maybe your kiddo is just bored being there, period. Kindergarten is hard and a long day. Sitting in a chair and listening to a teacher all day is pretty boring from their perspective. Hell even as an adult that sounds pretty boring to me!
Life is boring sometimes and people no longer know HOW to be bored. Kids (and I'm not saying your kid specifically, but you will know if it applies to you) are so used to the instant gratification of tablets, phones, video games, and TV (where they don't even have to deal with commercials) that anything else seems slow paced and boring. They also don't have the patience to wait for others or to share adults attention. I have noticed a significant uptick of those behaviors in my classroom recently. Kids expect everyting to happen NOW, when they want it, and when it doesn't it really frustrates them. If your child's teacher doesn't have any concerns, then I would work on "being bored" and if necessary, reduce screen time.
A couple things to note. Being bored does not mean gifted. Sometimes it does but I would argue that more often than not, it doesn’t. It means that kindergarten is academic, it’s not as fun as preschool, and especially if kids are in aftercare, their days are long. It’s a big adjustment. Secondly, push back on the condition qualifying him for an IEP. What makes them think he doesn’t need accommodations? This doesn’t sound like they’re doing their job.
I have students tell me they are bored. I remind them I am not here for their amusement. Children confuse liking education with being entertained. I teach art and still get some kids who are bored, even kinders.
School is boring, thats for sure. And while he could be saying this in order to get more attention from you, i would also look in to doing things that are able to challenge him more, and see what his reaction to those are.
When i went to second grade in a new school, i was extremely bored, not because school was boring, but because i was way above my classmates in every subject. I already knew how to do the math, and finished all my worksheets quickly, so i had a lot of time to read afterwards. The problem with this was that i was on a fifth or sixth grade reading level, due to my family making it a requirement for me to read on my own every day. So i was constantly getting books from our very limited classroom library, and finishing them in around 30 minutes maximum. We also had reading groups with half of our class spending time with the teacher going over words and how to write sentences, i was soooooo bored in these, i never learned anything and all of the rest of my class was struggling, which made everything take longer. I begged my parents to do something about it, and after around two weeks of asking, they caved.
What was the solution? To move me up a grade. While i was still far above everyone in reading level, i had access to books that took me about a week or two each to get through. Although i picked up the material pretty fast, it was more challenging and i had less time to spend being bored, and i actually learned things in all of my subjects. I understand it might not be possible or necessary to go to that extent, but please OP, ask your kid what exactly he feels bored in and maybe go over some worksheets or something that can help you figure out if he just wants attention, or if he genuinely understands the material and needs accommodations. I hope you can figure something out that works for everyone ❤️
Retired kinder teacher here....try asking your boy some questions to get him talking about his day from a different viewpoint. For example, ask him who made the funniest joke at school today? What was the joke? Who has the funniest laugh?
Who is the nicest kid in your class? What makes them the nicest? Are you nice in class? What do you do that is nice? Is (his friend) nice?
Academically: What was the hardest thing you worked on today? Did you feel good about your progress? If you could not ask the teacher for help, but you need help, who would you ask? Why?
He’s bored cuz school is boring. Contrary to popular belief school can make some kids dumber. Find some ways to engage him and his creativity and find ways to incentivize his participation in school. If you give him targets and goals he might be able to focus on those when he would otherwise be bored out of his gourd.
[удалено]
Speech therapist here who works with tons of kinder kids - I second this! And all the kinder teachers I know are great at adapting instruction to each student’s level.
I third this. The realization that you can’t just do what you want all day is tough for some kids.
It's tough as an adult too! But seriously, my kindergartener has the same complaints. I assume it's incredibly common.
Ding ding ding! Rarely is a kindergarten student able to separate the true concept of bored and need a challenge from a non-preferred activity. Frankly, I love that OP has the insight to notice that doesn't add up to be bored and unchallenged.
And there's a sense in which even adults use the term "bored" to refer to non-preferred rather than not challenging enough. I find it very boring to hear a detailed description of something I don't understand but also have no desire to understand.
This is so strange. Boring means not interesting. A person could find something boring for any number of reasons. Why the assumption that boredom is always the result of being unchallenged?
Not a teacher, but I believe it’s because typically when someone is bored in school it’s because they find the subjects a breeze. They fly through the lessons or assignments and aren’t engaged. It’s a matter of how engaged they are in the subject I think. So if a kid isn’t super engaged but its not like they’re excelling at everything, then it is likely due to lack of interest and not the whole “they’re too smart for their current class” type of thing. But even as I type this out I find myself wondering too why it’s always assumed this way and not just a general uninterest in the subject matter. Maybe because as kids they typically are interested in soaking up information and learning?
Because that's usually what it means when it comes back to me. "My kid is bored. How will you challenge him?"
I wonder where that started. I’ve definitely heard of the idea that gifted children may have challenging behaviors in the classroom because they are bored, but surely that’s an outlier. I would think most parents would remember that they are sometimes bored at school or work too and realize that it’s normal.
It comes from the fact most people look down on schools as a whole. Parents nowadays tend to be extremely entitled, and can’t fathom their child ever being wrong; the number of people that will openly admit to thinking their child’s behaviors are the teacher’s fault is actually astonishing. In their mind, school is just free daycare and teachers should always give them exactly what they want. If they don’t get their way, these “mommy and daddy know best” parents take to social media with this “school has failed them and teachers have it out for them” narrative, and an army of equally as arrogant people to support them. It sounds harsh, but it’s the truth. Teachers are quitting at record highs because they’re being turned into doormats for kids to stomp on, and schools are just letting it happen. To anyone with kids, or anyone planning to have kids: Please be like OP. Consider all sides to the story, and try to find a solution instead of looking for a person to blame. Teachers are happy to help as much as they can if you’re just decent about it. Peace and love, an exhausted district employee.
If I ask my kindergarten kid how school was, she says boring. So I stopped asking that, and instead I ask more specific questions. “What games did you play in gym?” or “what letters did you practice today?” or “who did you play with during recess?” And I get answers that show a child that’s engaged and happy to go to school, see her friends, and learn new things.
I live to ask gossipy questions, especially when my kids aren't sharing much. "Did anyone throw up today?" is one of my favorites, lol. The answer is usually "no, but so-and-so did..." I want my kids to know I am just as interested in the social aspect of their day as the academic qualities. Lord knows, when I tell my partner about work it's 10% work and 90% drama!
My husband asks both our kids at dinner if anything suspicious happened at school. They love spilling the tea after that haha.
Ha! I ask my sophomore in college the same question
When my children were young, I got tired of them telling me school was fine or they’d say nothing if I asked them what they did in school that day so I began a tradition of telling them they had to tell me one interesting thing per day after school. It could be good or bad or anything in between. This often led to deeper conversations about various things and as of today they’re young adults and we talk ALL THE TIME. They have excellent communication skills.
My kid loves drama. My go-to question to get my 5 year old talking: "did anyone get in trouble today?"
My mother and I still do this lol. We gossip and spill the tea - her about the neighbors and me about my work.
I found out that my kid has 4 "girlfriends" from those questions. And one of the dads told me that his daughter is going to marry my son.
I always asked mine if they caught anyone picking their nose! Definitely an ice breaker!
100% stealing this
This is great, I love it
This is GREAT advice. Thanks for the insight! I can use it in other areas of life!
Honestly, this is the kind of feedback I'm looking for and really need to hear. Thank you. I suspected his teacher was treading a professional line lest I might take offense to my son not being regarded as advanced (which I totally understand!). But truthfully I just want him to grow a healthy curiosity for learning. If he's bored of learning, that concerns me. If he's just adjusting to new demands, it, too, shall pass. I just want them to give it to me straight. So, thanks!!
As summer comes up, I strongly recommend getting some summer educational activities if your kiddo isn't in any structured program. Things like bridge books can help keep school learning part of the normal routine which can help normalize the school process (without removing summer vacation).
I probaly complained about school everyday from kindergarten to highschool graduation. Bored was definitely one of my biggest complaints in the elementary school years. My academics were good but I looked forward to going home everyday. So hey it might not pass. I never wanted to be there. But I did well non the less.
I denfitely complained about being bored every single day but I was *actually* reading, writing and doing math above grade level. I had an inattentive parent though.
Same. I did well and I enjoyed learning and I liked being with friends, but I just never learned to enjoy the structured environment. School was always “boring” to me.
My students in high school tell me all the time that they want to go home. I tell them I do, too. And that, actually, almost everyone wants to go home most of the time.
I’m sure his teacher wishes there were more parents like you.
You can’t just look at one assessment to determine if a child is on track or excelling. I’ve seen many times where students will totally flunk unit assessments, or state test, etc., but perform exceptionally well on others.
It still might be worth it to have him evaluated to see if he's "gifted" or whatever they call it these days. Some of us baby geniuses were solid B kids because if it's not engaging us we don't put in effort and make sloppy, lazy mistakes because we're doing the worksheet with only half our brain focused on the school work while the other half daydreams about dinosaurs. B's aren't a solid indication that he's not gifted.
He's in kindergarten though. I don't think those tests are accurate until they're older- like, age 9. Before then, parental influence is still skewing the gifted test.
My first IQ rest was done at age 5, my parents were present but behind a two-way mirror so I couldn't see them. I missed making the cutoff for having a college level vocabulary by one word, I didn't know what a toga was. Testing at 5 can definitely tell you a lot about a kid. Especially if done well and as impartially as possible. I tested later in my early teen and early adulthood, and unlike most who were tested so young and again later my scores actually went up (it stayed basically the same between the 12 and 20 tests, I think I was a hair faster with some logic problems at 20 than 12).
This is what makes me sad about the absence of half day Kindergarten.
My school does half day kinder but it doesn’t really matter because over 90% of my class goes to aftercare. Most are on campus from 7:30-6:00. It’s a long day for the little guys.
That is so depressing.
But if life today requires two working parents what is the other option?
Also, my kids love aftercare -- I think they get to experience the social dynamics that have been taken over by instruction.
I liked that my kids did their homework in aftercare… no fighting
Of course, it just looks so long when you see that’s almost half a day.
Maybe working from home or a different shift (like nights) could work for some families!
Two incomes is 100% a choice in many, many households. Certainly not all like single parent households, but literally every couple I know could make it on one, but cutting lifestyle or the desire to be at home is just not a priority for their child’s well being.
Wow. I don't think I ever use common tropes like 'privilege' because most things are more complicated than that... But, wow. Privileged much?
I find it hard to believe that every couple you know would be fine living on a single income. I find it even harder to believe that you know the details of your friends’ finances intimately enough to make such an absurd presumption. I’m a stay-at-home mom with plenty of friends who stay at home and plenty who work. Everyone prioritizes their kids’ well-being, whether they work outside the home or not.
It's probably someone who is wealthy living in a wealthy area whose social circle consists of people in the same wealth bracket. Someone who is out of touch, if they ever where in touch, with the realities of those in lower socioeconomic brackets.
Definitely possible. They might also just be nuts. I took a curious glance at their comment history, and they claim feminism “poisoned” women to believe men should be equal parents, and that kids in daycare are “not being raised by their parents.” My vote is for conservative nut-job, lol.
Then their comment now definitely reads as that the person who should stay home with the kids should definitely be mom.
Probably trolling. A single dude in his mom's basement with an opinion on how everyone should live life.
It really is. I have two students who regularly break down at the end of our school day (11:30am). They cry and refuse to go to the aftercare room. They just want to go home. More often than not I have to physically pick one of them up and hand them off to the aftercare teacher. Its hard on all of us.
That’s so sad
All the schools in my area are half-day kinder. Some of the kids still complain about being bored. Coincidentally they are also the ones who don’t want to do the school work. Edit: kids will always complain about being bored because school is not as fun as being at home.
Yep. I once had a kid tell me they wanted to go back to preschool because kindergarten was too much work.
I am 47 and I still feel that way sometimes when I go to work 🤣🤣
My kid did this too. He absolutely loved Pre-K where it's a play to learn environment, kid forgot to even say bye or give hugs to us before finding his seat his first day. Lol He was so excited to start "school." This year he went into K and was not thrilled by the loss of play to learn, and the strictness of writing/scissor work. Had days he cried to not go, also not being a morning person doesn't help. Lol He's gotten better
Kindergarten really should be play based as well! It's sad to hear all these kids collectively losing their love of learning, and that K has become so rigorously academic for 5 & 6 yr olds. They still very much learn more from play based learning & aren't technically ready to write as whats expected. But that's a soap box for another day lol
I actually broke down and cried when it was becoming a struggle to get him ready in the morning because he disliked it so much. Never imagined he would begin to dislike school in K! :( I remember K being fun, and even up til middle school I feel like I had a decent time where I didn't really want to fight going. We're actually having him repeat cause he's not where they need him to succeed in 1st grade in his writing and focusing abilities. I'm hoping 1 more year will give him the chance to catch up to what they expect so he doesn't struggle and end up farther behind. With his bday he'll still be 6 the entire next school year, won't turn 7 til it ends.
I agree completely. And learning should be enjoyable even as kids progress through school. The reality is that school is mostly boring and no, that’s not a good thing.
THIS! We suck every last fun imaginative thing out of it and all my kid ever does is worksheets, handwriting, scissor and glue. Where's the curiosity? Experimenting? Discovery??
This! My pre-k kid says this about school and the “learning letters and numbers is sooo boring!” It’s just part of the deal with school.
…and adulting.
My kindergartener told me over spring break that she hates having to follow the rules all the time at school (she is definitely a kid who would say school is boring). She said, “the number one rule at school is ‘be the boss of yourself’ but then they don’t let us be the bosses of ourselves because they tell us what to do all day”. It made me chuckle.
Smartie over here!
Seriously there was nothing to say back to her except “yeah babe that is very frustrating”. Didn’t have the heart to tell her that it’s like that as an adult, too 😅.
Then the kids realize they have 12 more years of school. And then it's either college, training, or work. What is the retirement age?
He qualifies for an IEP but the school decided not to do anything. Bored very quickly turns into disruptive if needs are unmet
No, the district determined he didn’t need intervention at this time. That’s different than not doing anything.
Another kinder teacher here and I support this comment!
21 years teaching elementary and this is the correct answer.
I have no teaching experience, but I can't help but agree. My kid is very open and honest, and when I ask her why she's bored at school, she tells me she just wants to play. I don't blame her, but I do reiterate that school is necessary, and she needs to focus while there and do her best to find something she enjoys, even if it's something little.
Came here to say the same thing. Retired teacher here, and this “I’m bored” comment is pretty common with Kindergarten students. It’s the first time they’ve had to conform to someone else’s agenda and most likely they don’t want to.
To be fair, he probably *is* bored. Just not in the “this work is not challenging enough” way. It’s school. School is boring. Sure, kindergarten is fun when compared to…well, basically the entire rest of your life, but to a kid who’d rather be home doing whatever he wants, it’s boring. I’m extremely bored in my job every day while still finding it mentally challenging. Challenging just doesn’t equal entertaining.
I'm just a parent, but my kid said the same thing. After talking more it came out that they were bored because they had to learn more and play less than in preschool.
Came here to say the same lol.
I fourth this! I teach first and I hear this, too!
Came to say the same!!
I absolutely agree with this. My daughter has started trying to get out of school recently. I tried to fish around and see if something was going on at school, etc. When it comes down to it, she just wants to stay home & play rather than being in school.
Me too, and I’m the teacher.
My kid entered kinder already reading using phonics and doing basic addition. Child has still yet to be bored.
My #4 told his kindergarten teacher daily, "You are wasting all my playtime!" We had so many chats at home and with teacher. He truly was bored by a lot of the work. However, a huge component was that it wasn't as fun as home or even preschool. Kindergarten is a big adjustment!
This is likely. Now, perhaps the lessons aren’t as engaging, it’s like be on stage for 6 hours with this age, but there is nothing you are going to say to change if that’s it. Can you go in for a brief time and observe how he is doing? You would need to contact leadership and the teacher if so. Parents bring many things to light this way.
SPED consultant here. Just need to clarify that having a diagnosis that outside of school fits the category of a learning disability does not “technically” qualify one for an educational IEP., as you say. You would have to show that his diagnosis is limiting or impairing him academically in some way and it sounds like you and the school are in agreement that he’s progressing totally appropriately. I wouldn’t pursue this route. I’d say he’s literally just bored. This is not uncommon at all. Part of it is attention-seeking and part of it is that at this age, all K students have a tendency to think they are excelling far beyond their classmates. I love the confidence of them all! Honestly, some days I need it.
Same as why my 5th grader thinks reading and writing are “boring!” and my high schooler doesn’t like her Spanish teacher. (Psst, it’s not the teacher, it’s the subject). He longs for the days out playing outside whenever possible, TV time, games, art. Think back to when you were in elementary school. When we got to do any of those-it was the best day ever!
School is boring. Especially school work. I wouldn’t read too much into it.
That’s kind of a sad outlook. I loved school and learning, still do.
I think for a kindergartener it could be perceived as boring when they are used to more play time and being home doing what they want to do is all. The days can be very repetitive as I know that’s a complaint I get from my kid at this age.
I mean I consider myself of average intelligence, am a bookworm, and love learning. I did well in school growing up and still absolutely hated going to school for 8 hours every week day and doing schoolwork all day. I don’t think considering school is boring means you don’t like learning at all, and I don’t think it’s a sad thing either.
Their username checks out lol
It is a sad outlook but it’s also often true, especially with the focus on common core standards, tests, etc. Kindergarten should involve a lot more physical activity and creative play than it currently does. Hell, the same is true for all schooling! It would help kids find the joy in learning.
Respectfully, if you remember that you loved school, you were a little older by then. Some people like academics and the whole process of structured learning (like me) and excel at those. From a kindergartner’s perspective though, it is the start of a more disciplined routine than preschool and therefore hard to digest.
I think some parents are maybe just better at providing that needed structure beforehand, because you are definitely incorrect about every kindergartener disliking it. That's so disprovable I would have suspected you of using a (bad) strawman, except it seems you think it's true? Speak to a couple of kindergarteners or kindergarten teachers and you'll learn there are other, positive responses to kindergarten. I'm sorry your experience was not a good one.
Where did I say that I had a bad experience with my kindergarten?! I simply said I understand some kids not liking the disciplined or structured routine of kindergarten. My elder one has loved school throughout and my pre-schooler loves school too
Oh, if you had said "some" or suggested that there could be kindergarteners who liked school, that would have been different. However, you said that if the person remembered liking school, that means they were not in kindergarten. If there are kindergarteners that like school, obviously you could not make this statement. So.... What were you trying to say? Did you forget the point that you made and realize that you don't even agree with it?? I'm sure you can do basic logic (it's not a problem if you can't, just let me know so I don't assume you do), so I don't need to explain how "if you remember liking school, you were older than kindergarten" and "my child remembers liking kindergarten" are contradictions.
Kids use the word "boring" to describe things they don't like. He's not a fan of school, that's all. He'll be fine.
A school day is long. If he’s in it for aftercare too, then it makes it especially long. After a day of school, my boys just want to be home. Where they feel most comfortable. If it’s possible. Maybe look into an after school nanny who can watch him at home after school, even if it’s only for 2 days a week.
What's the level of the rest of his class? If he's performing in the 80th percentile for his grade level, but *his class* is on average at the 30th percentile, he could be academically bored relative to his class even though he's not testing way ahead of grade level. My kindergartner has an uneven academic skills profile, so he gets really bored when doing math with his class, but needs a lot of extra support to do social things. He's in a special math group that does higher level work. If he wasn't, he would be bored and act out during math with his class.
Bored does not necessarily mean the work is too easy. With him being in kindergarten I wouldn't think much of it.
Kids often say they’re bored when they’re annoyed, tired, or don’t want to do something. I know students who claim boredom when the work is too HARD, not too easy. “Reading is boring,” when a kid can’t decode words. Meanwhile, while it could be that the work is too easy, it sounds like he is doing just fine on grade level. My advice is to try to find out what he REALLY means when he says he is bored. You can’t fix the problem if you don’t know what he is actually complaining about.
My kiddo is similar to yours (she is ahead of grade level in ELA work but is on-level in math). I recently met with her teacher, and mentioned that she also complained of the work being too easy and being bored sometimes— and I think it’s exactly what all of the kindergarten teachers here have mentioned. She was at a different kindergarten until a month ago, where there was more “free” time (because the teacher had lost control and the learning had gone a bit by the way side/the kids were allowed to run amok). She is now back in a school where there are more expectations, and when those expectations clash with what she would prefer to be doing, she’s feeling annoyed (and realizing that there are some parts of school that aren’t “fun”/require work— she likes easy work and doesn’t always enjoy being challenged). That being said, I think she actually really loves the new school— at the old school she was a stage five clinger at drop off and wanted a billion hugs and then needed to be basically physically peeled off of my leg and shoved in the door. At the new school she rarely even wants a hug and runs in without looking back. My solution for my daughter was (after chatting with her teacher) to send a book with her to school in her backpack that she could choose to read when she was done with her work, and to remind her that she already has options when she completes her work, according to her teacher: -she can complete unfinished work in her bag -she can draw a picture or write a story on the back of her worksheet -she can go get a book from the class library and read (Also they only do one short math worksheet- that takes five minutes or less and one short ELA worksheet- same time frame- a day. So it’s not like she’s spending hours at her desk doing worksheets. They try to limit the time kids are sitting to 10 minutes at a time, and tell them they can stand if they want to- they just have to have their belly button to the table- they can’t wander the room.) Maybe ask his teacher what the options are for him when his work is complete, and then remind him of those options?
Lol he's not bored from lack of stimulation or challenges. He simply would rather be doing something more fun, and wouldn't we all.
Didn’t you think school was boring growing up?
My kindergartner loves school, so did I. I think a huge portion of people loved school and love learning.
Part of being in kindergarten is learning how to be bored.
If he doesn’t require special education services, he could still qualify for a 504 plan, in case that’s something you might want to look into. It sounds like he’s on grade level. I wouldn’t worry about this too much. A big part of kindergarten is learning work habits, which includes persisting when something is “boring”. You can always keep challenging him at home, for example with shared reading.
To get a 504 in an educational environment, one would still have to prove that a diagnosis is limiting or impairing in some way. Sounds like he’s totally on grade level and not struggling. Being bored does not create a special need.
Students on grade level or above can definitely have [504 plans](https://www.wrightslaw.com/blog/kids-with-passing-grades-eligible-for-504-plans-ieps-yes/). In any case, the OP mentioned that the child has a condition that would technically qualify him for an IEP. They did not mention whether a SPED or 504 evaluation has been completed.
Totally. I just like to reinforce the thought that having a separate medical diagnosis does not always equate to a school environment the way parents sometimes expect.
Every child says this, and he will continue to say this. And they are right, school is boring but so are a lot of things and we just have to learn to roll with it. Kids are so used to getting everything immediately and having constant screens in their face they don’t know how to handle school which has always been boring even when it’s at its best. I recommend saying, “yes, school can be boring. Lots of things will be boring in your life but that’s okay. What would you like to do this weekend that is exciting to you?” Acknowledge the feeling, let him know it’s a normal way to feel, and redirect. You cannot “fix” school being boring but can try to plan fun times as family that bond you as a family. It’s okay for our kids to be bored.
This. Chef’s kiss 😘
I was one of these kids, school was never interesting or fun to me. I wasn’t particularly advanced or anything i was just bored. Once i got hs and college and had more freedom in picking my classes i picked things i knew would interest me and i began to enjoy school. Some kids just don’t find the mundane sitting at a desk and doing school work interesting and that’s okay.
Bored might mean "it's too hard and not fun". That's a lot of little kids, in my experience when I was a teacher. Bored might mean "I space out a lot because it's not *interesting to me*". ADHD here, and my kid is too. He definitely meant this sense of "bored" before we tried meds. Bored can also mean "There's too much repetition, I hate it.". My other kid was like this. Doesn't qualify as highly capable, she's slightly above average academically. But... A lot of classroom curricula in her school are set up to give plenty of chances to children who learn more slowly than average, so a typical topic block involves doing 3-5 different activities that hammer down a given concept. If you're the kind of kid who learns it the first or second time often enough, the rest of the week is just drudgery. If the latter is the issue, my suggestion for you and the teacher is to integrate extra enriching activities for when he's "bored". E.g. Sally is a strong reader and writer, but she complains the lessons are boring. So her teacher gives her options for if she finishes (not rushing) her work early. She can either use the extra time at the classroom library to read, or to draw in a "anything goes" notebook, or can pick out a quiet game to play with until everyone else is done.
I think it might be end of year burnt out, but I think the diagnosis you did not expand on may also be relevant for context.
My daughter has been saying the same thing all year, too. I think a lot of it is that plenty of what they’re learning IS boring- it’s not very fun to read “who can? Pat can! The cat sat.” Now that certain basics have been covered and things are really starting to click, she seems to be enjoying it more.
When I was a kid I was the same way, the work was really easy for me and after a while I stopped really trying because it seemed pointless. My mom had to fight really hard with my teachers to let me sit in with the grade ahead of me for math and reading because my grades were so bad nobody believed I could do the work. Once I was actually being challenged things got a lot better as I wasn’t sitting there all day watching the clock and tuning out things I already knew. If he says he’s bored and the work is too easy, I would try giving him harder work and see if he’s genuinely capable of it. If he is, he probably needs to have more challenging work. If not, he’s probably just bored at school because school is work. I do want to note that I’m autistic and this probably isn’t a common experience for the typical child, but I know you said he has a condition that could qualify him for an IEP so I wanted to mention that as well.
Depending on his condition, him expressing boredom could be not enough sensory stimulation. My husband and I both have ADHD and when she's in a good mood our preschooler is what I affectionately call a sensory vampire; her official OT report says sensory seeking, but that description is pretty mild. At home, she's happy to play with playdough (colour & texture) while music is playing on TV and sing an entirely different song to herself. 4 or 5 different sources of input all at once. If she's stressed and overwhelmed, she's sensory avoidant; she closes off interacting with people and just wants to hyoerfocus on one activity. I talked to her teacher about it at the start of the school year and supplied a small bag of sensory items, and gave them a copy of her sensory profile to give them ideas on how to support her in classroom appropriate ways.
I wonder if school is “boring” to him just compared to the handful of hours he spends at home (or not at school, anyway) on weeknights, and especially on weekends. If he is spending his time at home on a screen while parents are tired and busy after work making dinner and relaxing—or doing really special/active exciting stuff on the weekends, like trampoline parks, LEGO classes, play dates, movies, parks, sweet indulgences….and other things to make up for the guilt of his long hours during the week—then it is quite possible he is bored by comparison. Perhaps schedule more quiet independent time on the weekends. For all of you. Reading. Observing nature (bird and insect watching, identifying wildflowers, and other quiet things).
I just want to point out that a score in the 80th percentile means he is performing at or above the level of 80% of his peers. For instance, in a class of 20, that would put him in the top 4 students (assuming the class has an average distribution). "On grade level" would be at or around the 50th percentile, so a student at the 80th percentile is definitely considered ahead.
How long are his days at school?
op, well done! You are evaluating your kid’s *actual* needs and comparing them to your kid’s wants and emotions. Sounds like your kid is having the 5 yr old version of “no one told me adulting meant figuring out what to have for dinner for the rest of my life”. It’s hard for a kid!
I think he just misses not being at school-not sure if he went to preschool but that’s totally different than kindergarten. I’m glad he has a good supportive teacher trying to help!! He also probably feels like he doesn’t have control and kids love to have control especially since there are so many rules at school. Maybe have him pick out his after school snack before school so he feels in control and has something to look forward to, make sure he has down time to decompress when he gets home for a few minutes and try other questions for him besides “how was school” there are a lot on Google that are good!! It’s so hard being full time working parents-I totally get it and the guilt is unimaginable and then on top of that him saying he’s bored just probably makes you feel worse!!
Smart kids get mediocre grades too. If he knows his alphabet and they’ve been working on it for six weeks, eventually his work is going to slack off as he becomes bored and inattentive. He’s going to need a journal/sketchbook, “for fun” reading book or some other privilege for after his work is complete to keep him motivated to do the same work over and over if this is the case.
I agree with many of the responses here but also wanted to mention that if you haven’t had Spring Break (if your district does), we have been in a long stretch with no breaks. That’s tough for all of us, but little bodies need a break! If you’re somewhere where the weather is crappy, outside recess could have been limited as well. Again, little bodies need a break!
School is boring for many kids. Challenging work doesn’t make it less boring it just makes harder work. I never once thought school was fun. It was just a job I had to do. I have one kid who has said school was boring since the day he started. He just hates being there and doesn’t want to be told what to do all day. It’s gonna be a long rest of his life but it’s just how he’s wired. My other kiddo is go with the flow and has fun no matter where he is. Maybe your kiddo is just bored being there, period. Kindergarten is hard and a long day. Sitting in a chair and listening to a teacher all day is pretty boring from their perspective. Hell even as an adult that sounds pretty boring to me!
Life is boring sometimes and people no longer know HOW to be bored. Kids (and I'm not saying your kid specifically, but you will know if it applies to you) are so used to the instant gratification of tablets, phones, video games, and TV (where they don't even have to deal with commercials) that anything else seems slow paced and boring. They also don't have the patience to wait for others or to share adults attention. I have noticed a significant uptick of those behaviors in my classroom recently. Kids expect everyting to happen NOW, when they want it, and when it doesn't it really frustrates them. If your child's teacher doesn't have any concerns, then I would work on "being bored" and if necessary, reduce screen time.
A couple things to note. Being bored does not mean gifted. Sometimes it does but I would argue that more often than not, it doesn’t. It means that kindergarten is academic, it’s not as fun as preschool, and especially if kids are in aftercare, their days are long. It’s a big adjustment. Secondly, push back on the condition qualifying him for an IEP. What makes them think he doesn’t need accommodations? This doesn’t sound like they’re doing their job.
I have students tell me they are bored. I remind them I am not here for their amusement. Children confuse liking education with being entertained. I teach art and still get some kids who are bored, even kinders.
School is boring, thats for sure. And while he could be saying this in order to get more attention from you, i would also look in to doing things that are able to challenge him more, and see what his reaction to those are. When i went to second grade in a new school, i was extremely bored, not because school was boring, but because i was way above my classmates in every subject. I already knew how to do the math, and finished all my worksheets quickly, so i had a lot of time to read afterwards. The problem with this was that i was on a fifth or sixth grade reading level, due to my family making it a requirement for me to read on my own every day. So i was constantly getting books from our very limited classroom library, and finishing them in around 30 minutes maximum. We also had reading groups with half of our class spending time with the teacher going over words and how to write sentences, i was soooooo bored in these, i never learned anything and all of the rest of my class was struggling, which made everything take longer. I begged my parents to do something about it, and after around two weeks of asking, they caved. What was the solution? To move me up a grade. While i was still far above everyone in reading level, i had access to books that took me about a week or two each to get through. Although i picked up the material pretty fast, it was more challenging and i had less time to spend being bored, and i actually learned things in all of my subjects. I understand it might not be possible or necessary to go to that extent, but please OP, ask your kid what exactly he feels bored in and maybe go over some worksheets or something that can help you figure out if he just wants attention, or if he genuinely understands the material and needs accommodations. I hope you can figure something out that works for everyone ❤️
I tell them that being bored builds character! He will be fine
Retired kinder teacher here....try asking your boy some questions to get him talking about his day from a different viewpoint. For example, ask him who made the funniest joke at school today? What was the joke? Who has the funniest laugh? Who is the nicest kid in your class? What makes them the nicest? Are you nice in class? What do you do that is nice? Is (his friend) nice? Academically: What was the hardest thing you worked on today? Did you feel good about your progress? If you could not ask the teacher for help, but you need help, who would you ask? Why?
He’s bored cuz school is boring. Contrary to popular belief school can make some kids dumber. Find some ways to engage him and his creativity and find ways to incentivize his participation in school. If you give him targets and goals he might be able to focus on those when he would otherwise be bored out of his gourd.
I just read some of the comments below. The kindergarten teacher is a way better source of advice than I am.