I'm Bored!!

Today, one of our neighbor friends came over to visit. Travis was asking them how long until school starts, and don't they want to stay home?
The person replied, "No, I want to go to school."
Why? He asked.
"Because, I'm bored." they replied.
I had heard this same exchange of words, a few days ago, when my mom was here to hear it as well, and I commented to her, "Kids get bored because they are used to being spoon fed things to do. Everything is planned for them. They have no idea how to direct their own lives."
I thought about this again today, as I heard this person repeat their comment on boredom at home being a reason for wanting to go back to school. She/he is used to someone else directing his/her life for them, I said to Travis, "They are used to someone giving them things to do, so they don't get bored..." Then, I turned to the friend, and said, "Right?" They nodded, but I'm not sure they fully grasped what I was saying. I don't know if they knew that I meant it was a negative thing or not, but maybe someday they'll reflect on it. I don't know, maybe it was not a nice way to put it. I'm sure my MIL could have come up with a nicer way to say it, but sometimes I get too zealous and can't shut up. That's why I have this blog! :) It's an outlet for my thoughts.
So, anyway, I thought back to a shirt I'd seen this friend wearing at one of my kids birthday parties. It said, "Bored of Education", you know, a play on the words "Board of Education"... but it spoke volumes to me. When I thought about it, I thought, what is education anyway? Is education really what most people think of it as? Going to school for 12 to 16 years out of your life? Can't you get just as good if not better an education by living life, and pursuing your interests? I answer a resounding "Yes!" And you don't get bored of education, because life IS an education.
I thought about that statement, "I'm bored", and I realized that it's been a long while since I've heard that out of my kids! It took them a while to get used to making their own schedules, so the "I'm bored's" didn't stop immmediately after beginning unschooling. I'd say it took about 8 months for them to stop saying it. Even if you are doing "school at home" the traditional way, you are telling your kids what their interests should be, and making "education" a packaged, time limited item. Then you say, "Let's go to the library 'just for fun' and get some books you like!" Isn't that a time of education in itself, though? Why do we have to be made to be 'bored of education'?
I'm happy to see that my kids now for the most part are responsible for their own hours in the day. I don't hear, "I'm bored, there's nothing to do!" because they are used to choosing how to spend their time. There is no time limited or labeled "free time". They are kids! Most of their time is free! And their education is not suffering in the least because of it. In fact it is flourishing.