Boring

"Dull, repetitive, or tedious" (American Heritage Dictionary).

I have noticed that younger children (and older children with less-developed vocabularies) use this word often. "Boring" among these people is a catch-all term indicating general disapproval. It can mean frustrating, depressing, or unpopular, or even embarassing, uncomfortable, unfamiliar, or unapproachable. The child's concept of "boredom" temporarily takes the place of the range of emotions that we become more aware of, and better able to articulate, as we grow older.

Adults often seem to misunderstand the fact that "boring" doesn't mean the same thing to children that it means to us. An adult is bored when they can't "find anything to do" or when they are trapped in an uneventful formal situation such as a meeting or a second cousin's funeral. Children, however, seem like they use "boring" for many other situations, even ones that may seem exciting and fast-paced.

Jell-o? That's boring!

I hate science! It's boring!

How was your first day of school?
Boring.
Did you meet new people?
Yeah.
Did you have lots to do?
Yeah.
Did you go outside and run around?
Yeah.
Then how was it boring?
I don't know.

If you're bored, I can find something for you to do.

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