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I run a home childcare and I have a 5 and 7 year old girls. How could they possibly get bored and have nothing to do? Is it that children don't know how to play like we did when we were kids? I have many different things for them to do along with all of their own stuff but yet still seem lost in their own home. We are just coming to the end of the Thanksgiving break and it was harder for them being home than to be at school. They continually wanted to be on the go, didn't know what to do when we were home. It made me very tired. What do your own children do when they are home? Do they entertain themselves well? Do you entertain them? What do you have for them to do? I'm frusterated.
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I have a 6yo DD (she'll be 7 next month) and a 9 yo nephew are here at DC regulary and I had the same problem. It must be the ages.
Since it was my own DD and my nephew ANY time that they started to complain about being bored I put them to work. They took out trash, swept, wipes surfaces, cleaned toys, washed dishes, dusted, sorted toys, alphabetized my DC books by categories etc.
After the first few times they got the point and found something to do :
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Mine get bored too. Go play toys has always been my answer for boredom with littles. For my older 3 (12, 10, 8.5) it's go read a book. If that still doesn't work, I give them a list of chores....they usually choose the book! ;-) There should never be any boredom in my house. I can always "find" stuff for them to do - clean the garage, clean the basement, clean the bathroom, do the dishes, rake the lawn....you get the idea!!!Comment
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I've never understood boredom. I have a vivid recollection of sitting on the picnic table in the middle of the summer with my cousin and hearing her say she was bored - when I was baking in the sunshine and feeling happy to be with her and just all-around enjoying the summer. I was totally shocked that she didn't feel as happy as I did to just be doing nothing, but being there. Which may be why I have a low tolerance for kids telling me they're bored. There is so much to enjoy and to appreciate in life in every day.
I don't want to tell the kids how to find that - I want them to explore and imagine and find their own way into loving life, without constantly having an adult - or a machine - tell them how to do that.
I think the biggest trick to fending off kids' boredom is to ignore them. Not to let up on supervision of course, but to back off from thinking adults need to entertain them. Or that they need to be entertained electronically. Or in a group/organized sport/dance/gymnastics/whatever. If left on their own long enough (painful as that may be for the kids, and probably the adults,) eventually kids do come up w/ something to do. And they'll enjoy their own creativity and they'll learn and grow and find out how to entertain themselves. A valuable lesson and life skill. If an adult is "bored" - who's going to immediately feel the need to entertain them?Comment
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My son, 11, has the opposite problem. There are so many things he would like to do at home, he hates being distracted by everyday things like school and household tasks.
Legos, K'nex, computer, television, daycare room toys, recycled materials to tape together, bay-blades, those little robotic roaches (forgot the name), sand pile in the empty lot, and more Legos...there just isn't enough time!Comment
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I don't know that I have ever heard my kids say they were bored. I do love the look on my 10 yo DD's face when she is plotting up what to do next. Lol! I do know that we have to have a tidy up period during school breaks and summer because you can tell what went on all day. They have the run of the house, so upstairs will have a dinner table full of arts and crafts, scrap booking supplies and paper dolls. The coffee table is usually a resort for Barbie. The daycare kids get puppet productions, candy land tournaments, and forts. Daddy's office hosts monopoly, risk, and UNO all out at once, and the little Ponys have galloped all over the backyard. They are also free to ride their bikes within 3 blocks at any time, take picnics to the school, visit friends with a note left (and a phone #) , or one of the uncles will pop by to take the girls fishing, to the movies, or have them help grandma with some work. I have to wheedle out some mommy time on the weekends!
I think the only thing that bugs me is that daddy gets a lot more one on one with the girls. I think he just happens to catch them at the right moments :confused:Comment
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robotic roachOriginally posted by bbo View Post
Oh please lordy don't let my son see this thread.
He's the same as yours (minus the roach). He can PLAY PLAY PLAY. His biggest struggle is finding age mates that want to play toys not computer and video games.
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Bored SA do chores here. It doesn't matter if they're mine or not.
There isn't much boredom. ::
We don't have cable and only one tv in the house with a DVD player and game systems. My kids have always had to do "stuff" rather than have "stuff" do itself for their entertainment. I don't know if that makes a difference or not? They do watch tv, game and do all those things that typical kids do but it's planned here and for short time periods and not everyday.Comment
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Hex Bugs...Originally posted by nannyde View Postrobotic roach
Oh please lordy don't let my son see this thread.
He's the same as yours (minus the roach). He can PLAY PLAY PLAY. His biggest struggle is finding age mates that want to play toys not computer and video games.
They are actually quite cool, if your 11!
Mine does like the computer and electronics, though. Would spend more time on that, too, if allowed!Comment
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My DD has this problem off and on. It's usually a sign that she's watching too much TV. Cut down on the TV, endure some whining and screaming, and then she's back to her usual creative and toy-playing self.
Yesterday for example, she was limited to three shows (about an hour of TV total I think) and she did really well. There was some moping and whining about it, but eventually she disappeared into her room and I could hear her playing and pretending.
Today she's already watched two (early AM for her) and will be allowed to watch probably two more at naptime...then she'll need to play for the rest of nap.Hee hee! Look, I have a signature!Comment
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I agree with the TV thing.....occasionally I see this with my own kids and it is almost always that they have been watching too much TV. Its a full time job to keep them and my husband away from the TV, ha ha! I've thought about just getting rid of all they TVs, period.Comment
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My DD got waaaaay too much TV all last winter and spring (I was pregnant AND my mom was in the hospital November 28th-May 27th), and even somewhat over the summer (newborn DS), so we're coming down of a loooong time of being lazy and rotting our brains,Originally posted by cheerfuldom View Post.
Hee hee! Look, I have a signature!Comment
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We just have one for the family in a low traffic area. Out of sight, out of mind type of thing. I do have a little one in the playroom for movies but my kids don't play in there normally.Originally posted by cheerfuldom View PostComment
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I'm bored,....
Ok, go empty trash cans
I'm bored
Ok go scoop up doggy doo
I'm bored
Ok, go get all the trash out of the van
I'm bored
Ok dishes need put away.
Rinse, repeat.
If I'm bored is followed by, but I don't want to do chores, then I say, then find something to do. I'm not your entertainment, but I WILL find something for you to do if you are bored.Comment
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My DD is 6 and I will say she very rarely tells me she's bored but it has happened more this year than before. Its not during daycare though. Its after hours. I am going to be getting her a craft project fro Christmas. I think its cool when children areo taught to do "real life" things like sew or cook. So I am hoping it will help with boredom and teach a skill
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