Actress Eva Mendez wants her kids to have a summer with boredom.
Mendez took her two daughters with actor Ryan Gosling to London, where he was filming in the Spring, and spoke to Byrdie, a digital magazine for beauty and wellness, about their time there.
“We just all came back from London. My man [Gosling] was filming there and so the family went—I think it was over four months. We just got back like a week and a half ago, and I am so happy. It’s just so happy to be back in this summer vibe. It was beautiful there, but you know, the rain. It’s really romantic for a weekend and then I’m like, “Okay, I need sun!” Having a six- and a seven-year-old right now, I’m trying not to jam too many activities in a day.”
Continuing, she said, “When we were in London, we went from musical to musical taking advantage of being back in the theater, we went to all kinds of museums, we went to Windsor Castle—I had a ton of field trips planned for them, which we did. And now I feel like it’s time to bring boredom back. I’m bringing boredom back, especially for kids, but for myself as well.”
Young children need some boredom in their lives Unicef states.
“It teaches them how to cope with frustration and control their impulses. If young children are constantly being stimulated by screens, they forget how to rely on themselves or others for entertainment. This leads to frustration and hinders imagination and motivation,” according to their website.
Mendez spoke about the positive effects of not being stimulated by electronics.
“I really feel like when we’re bored—not stimulated by a phone, or an iPad, or computer or television—that’s when ideas come in. Sometimes it’s fun, sometimes it’s dangerous, and sometimes it’s enlightening. I really want it to be the summer of boredom,” she said.