Every year, around the second week of summer vacation, my son starts acting like I’ve personally let him down. Not in a dramatic way. OK, actually in a very dramatic way. He wanders into whatever room I’m in, sighs loudly enough to suggest he’s survived several wars, and declares he’s “bored.”
Now, let’s be clear. This child owns:
- multiple game systems
- Approximately 700 pieces of Lego
- sporting goods
- art supplies
- board games
- book
- bicycle
- scooter
- Enough abandoned hobbies to qualify as your own storage unit
Yet somehow, according to him, there is absolutely nothing to do.
As an ADHD parent raising a child with ADHD, I used to think that being bored meant I wasn’t doing enough. Perhaps more activities were needed. More camping. Go out further. More educational opportunities. My list of things I want to do this summer has increased. More Pinterest. Then I remembered that I too have ADHD tendencies and have never successfully completed a Pinterest project in my life. So that didn’t happen.
The truth is, summer is strange for kids with ADHD. For months, their day has been made up of minutes. school; transition; lunch; recess; teacher. schedule.
And then one Tuesday in June, we basically say, “Good luck, buddy.” And suddenly they’re expected to manage their endless free time using executive function skills they don’t actually have yet. What could go wrong?
In our case, the answer is “everything.” Negotiations for the screen will begin in the next few days. The frustration of boredom begins. Sibling fights will increase.
And my son has somehow developed the ability to appear next to me every seven minutes asking for a treat, even though he recently ate so much that he had crumbs on his face.
A few summers ago, after a very tiring morning of hearing the word “bored,” I took the boys to a stream near my house. Not because I wanted to create magical childhood memories. Because it was free. Those are completely different motives. I packed my water bottle, snacks, and my last remaining bit of patience and headed out. Then something strange happened. My son is gone. Not literally. This is not that kind of article. But mentally. He became completely absorbed in the Creek Kid activities. I’m looking for a frog. collecting stones. Throw a stick. Construction of a dam. looking for fish We passionately debate whether a crawfish is technically a lobster. Hours have passed. For hours.
Do you realize what a miracle that is for a child who normally can’t choose between three activities without needing a snack break or an existential crisis?That’s when I realized something. My son didn’t look to me for entertainment. His brain needed stimulation. movement. Novelty. Sensory input. Something real. It wasn’t just another YouTube video trying to compete for his attention.
Since then, I’ve become a big fan of so-called “Lazy Mom Adventures.” I’m not lazy in the lazy sense of the word. The lazy person who says, “I’m not going to spend $400 a week on summer camp.” Our favorite? Days of the Creek. Treasure hunt. Library trip. Ride a bicycle. I purposely never call it a “nature walk” because my son loses interest as soon as it seems educational.
We call them missions. Everything is a mission. Find the weirdest bug. Find the smoothest rock. Look for signs of raccoons. I found something in the shape of a heart. Suddenly he was Indiana Jones.
Another thing I learned is that boredom itself isn’t necessarily the problem. I sometimes wonder if parents with ADHD are panicking because they’ve seen what boredom can be like. chaos. screen. discussion. questionable decision.
But if you wait long enough, something interesting can happen. My son is creative. A fort appears. A game is invented. A cardboard box becomes an engineering project. A collection of sticks has mysteriously taken over my porch. Boredom will eventually pass. Not because I solved it. Because he was.
Now, don’t get me wrong. My son still says he’s bored about 47 times a day during the summer. That hasn’t changed. But I stopped treating it like an emergency. Sometimes what he actually wants to say is, “My brain needs something interesting.” to be honest? There are days when I feel the same way.
daniel kelly I am the host of the ADHD Parenting Podcast. chaos & caffeinewhich reaches thousands of families every month and was recently named one of the Best Podcasts for Kids with ADHD in 2026 by PodRanker.
