Exclusive | Kids are more bored than ever, experts say — but some NYC parents…

Moms are on board with boredom.

When Renée Gadar’s kids tell her they’re bored, she doesn’t hesitate to repeat the same advice her parents once gave her: You have lots of things to play with — go and figure it out.

“And you know what, they do,” Gadar, 40, a hairdresser living in Harlem with her 12-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter, told The Post.

“My son will come into the kitchen and talk to me for a couple of hours and then go and read a book. My daughter will play creatively for two hours or start a coloring project. It’s old school,” she said approvingly.

According to data collected by Monitoring the Future, a government-funded organization that studies trends in adolescence, kids are more bored than ever.

That’s completely fine, according to Stacey Rosenfeld, PhD, a Rockland County psychologist. The mom of 11-year-old twin boys believes strongly that the state of mind can offer distinct benefits.

“Learning how to tolerate boredom is an important skill,” Rosenfeld told The Post. “There are always going to be times when we’re bored. If we never allow ourselves to have that feeling of wondering ‘What should I do with this time,’ how will we do that as adults?” 

And it’s never too early to lean into daydreaming and unstructured play, said Upper West Sider Katie Garnovsky, a full-time mom and freelance on-air entertainment correspondent with two daughters, aged 5 and 20 months.

“When my five-year-old says ‘I’m bored,’ I ask her to look around and think about what she could do to use her brain,” Garnovsky said. “We then come up with games like finding things in the house that start with certain letters.”

Less tech = more creativity

Gadar, who studied early childhood education and once worked as a seventh and eighth grade math teacher, believes that the more time kids spend on devices, the less bored they are, which ultimately stifles creativity.

“In my house, I have a low tolerance for technology,” said Gadar, who limits her kids’ access. “When I say it’s time to stop using their devices, my son might give me a huff about it, but there’s not a whole lot of fallout since this has been the tone in my home for years.”

Since kids are unlikely to get bored if they’re attached to their devices, removing this or any other source of immediate stimulation and gratification can end up being truly powerful, said Rebecca Kennedy, Ph.D., or Dr. Becky, the best-selling author of “Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be.”

Still, parents need to let their kids come up with ways to combat boredom instead of constantly offering alternative options for them, the expert said.

“When there’s a lull in the day, parents think that it’s our problem to solve or maybe unconsciously we think their boredom is a barometer of whether or not we’re good parents,” explained Kennedy, a mom of three.

“Then we’re in a frenzy of trying to add more excitement to our kids’ day when we should see that boredom is the space where a kid finds new ideas, reads a book and plays with a sibling, which they may not look forward to, but it’s the best option compared to everything else. This is when they learn to be flexible and creative.”

Boredom busters

Turning routine chores into something fun is another priority for Gadar, who prefers to keep her kids engaged, whether they’re out to eat, shopping at Ikea or the grocery store, versus watching them zone out on their phones or iPads.

“If we’re going out to eat, we’re talking to each other,” she emphasized. “If we’re going to the store, we’re talking about what we’re seeing and we’re making jokes. I always feel more connected to them when we’ve had a day where we’ve been on the go, talking and connecting. It seems like that’s when my kids are the snuggliest.”

Garnovsky also sees the value in taking her daughters everywhere — even “boring” places like the post office.

“I incorporate the kids into the daily “boredom” of everyday tasks because I want my kids to know that these things don’t have to be boring,” she said.

“We go to the grocery store every day after school and I take pride and joy in that errand. We plan out what we’re having for dinner and we use that time to talk about recipes and the new foods we’re going to try.”

While it’s way easier to hand your phone to your child when there’s a tediously long line, Garnovsky believes these are the moments when a child can be the most creative.

“No matter where we go, my older daughter always brings a notebook and a pencil or pen with her — she’s been doing it since she was 3 years old,” she said. “When we’re at the post office I’ll suggest she write a letter while we’re waiting. Even if she’s just learning how, this helps engage her imagination.” 

Ultimately, Rosenfeld sees boredom as one of life’s bonuses since kids are adept at finding things to do — no matter how much they complain.

“My sons will inevitably make up a game or they’ll go outside and play together,” she said.

“Kids need those unstructured moments where they say to each other ‘Let’s pick up a ball’ or ‘Let’s add this new rule to the game.’ The cognitive flexibility and creativity that comes at these times are one of the most critical skills our kids need to develop.”