What if your kids aren't bored enough?

It sounds crazy in a world where parents are constantly trying to keep their children entertained. But what if eliminating boredom is actually taking away opportunities for creativity, independence, and problem-solving?

In Episode 172 of High Performance Parenting, Greg and Jacquie Francis launch a new three-part series, The Childhood We're Accidentally Stealing, exploring how convenience, screens, overscheduling, and parental fear are changing childhood.

Part 1 tackles a surprising idea: Your kids need more opportunities to be bored.

Think back to childhood before constant access to phones, tablets, and streaming entertainment.

Kids rode bikes, built forts, explored their neighborhoods, created games, started little businesses, and figured out how to entertain themselves.

Today, when a child says “I'm bored,” it's easy to hand them a screen or immediately plan another activity.

But Greg and Jacquie believe we're missing something important when we remove every uncomfortable moment.

In this episode, they share stories from their own childhoods, including Greg's hilarious memories of spending hours playing around a small drainage culvert he called his “bridge.”

They also share practical lessons from raising their six children, including how they set screen-time expectations, encourage independent play, and teach their kids that privileges come with responsibility.

Greg and Jacquie also share a recent evening when their kids and visiting friends spent hours playing flashlight tag, jumping on the trampoline, playing tennis, and enjoying Battleship—without relying on screens to entertain them.

Their message isn't that children should never use technology or enjoy planned activities.

It's that children also need opportunities to create something when there's nothing immediately available to consume.

“When there's nothing to consume, children have to learn to create.”

And remember:

“Your parenting job isn't to create an entertaining childhood for your kids. It's to prepare them for an extraordinary adulthood.”

🎙️ Watch Episode 172 of High Performance Parenting and join Greg and Jacquie as they help families raise champion children in a crazy world.

THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE: Set aside two hours with no screens, no scheduled activities, and no parent-led entertainment. Encourage your kids to find something to do—and resist the urge to immediately step in.

Want help building a stronger family culture? DM FAMILY to request the family blueprint or visit teamredwoods.com.

Subscribe and share this episode with another parent who wants to raise creative, responsible, capable kids.

#HighPerformanceParenting #ScreenFreeKids #IntentionalParenting #ChristianParenting #RaisingCreativeKids

• (00:00) - When Kids Have Nothing to Consume, They Create
• (00:41) - Intro
• (01:28) - Football, Dad Jokes, and Family Fun
• (02:40) - Introducing The Childhood We're Accidentally Stealing
• (03:13) - Why Your Kids Aren't Bored Enough
• (03:44) - The Hidden Value of Boredom
• (04:11) - Greg's Childhood Bridge Story
• (06:14) - Growing Up Before Constant Screens
• (07:36) - Why Parents Reach for Devices
• (09:15) - Setting Screen-Time Boundaries
• (10:26) - When There's Nothing to Consume, Kids Create
• (11:11) - What Screen-Free Play Looks Like Today
• (12:47) - Stop Scheduling Every Moment
• (13:25) - The Pressure to Create a Perfect Childhood
• (15:37) - Chores, Complaints, and Responsibility
• (16:20) - Teaching Teenagers to Honor Family Priorities
• (17:42) - Privileges Come With Responsibilities
• (18:00) - The Two-Hour Boredom Challenge
• (18:39) - Stop Treating Boredom Like an Emergency
• (18:43) - Prepare Kids for an Extraordinary Adulthood