Neat thought on boredom

[jenk]

"The gadgetry may distract a baby from crying, but does he ever discover his toes?" wonders Wheelock College early-childhood educator Diane Levin.

She means that on two levels. Literally, the fussy baby who is left alone long enough to find his toes (not more than a few minutes, after all) is making the first step in a long journey. "He's figuring out that he can entertain and distract himself," Levin says. "He's also learning something profound: that he has the capacity to solve his own problem."

The emphasis is mine. Original article is in The Boston Globe.