5 Year Old Is Bored At Daycare

[Crazy Baby]

I have a small in home daycare. I have children ages 1 and 3 and then an almost 5 year old. The 5 year old started going to preschool part time, but he will be returning to my care full time next week.

The mother told me that he is bored at my daycare and that she wants to know what activities I will have for him. I told her that I would work on providing more/better activities for him.

I feel like he is outgrowing my daycare, especially since he started preschool. Now that he has gone to school, he has higher expectations that I have a hard time competing with.

It is also stressing me out that the mom will most likely be lording over my business, putting a lot of pressure on me to make her kid happy.

How do you make your older kids happy when you still have the little ones to entertain as well?

[daycarediva]

I don't entertain children. If he's bored, he would get a job to do.

I would tell that to Mom, too. It isn't my job to entertain your child. It's a very common occurrence the spring-summer before K, as children are ready to move on to a more structured program. It IS my job to provide age appropriate activities and materials for her child to use. Why don't they brainstorm a list of games he could play every morning before arriving at daycare?

I provide preschool only, and the same thing happens to my kids, essentially, they are outgrowing my care. It's a great opportunity for them to learn to handle boredom and be creative. I would provide more loose parts, and maybe a space at the table where he can use them by himself (as he is the oldest by quite a bit).

[Pepperth]

Last summer, I had 2 school agers (which helped immensly as they entertained each other the whole time.) They had an area to play legos, where only they could go. I also purchased a notebook and their own set of markers. They wrote stories and drew pictures all summer and it make a cool booklet to send home at the end.

He may be better suited to a summer program elsewhere. Here, the university, the YMCA and a few other organizations have great summer programs that school-aged kids can go to each day, and they run about the same price as daycare.

[Blackcat31]

I don't entertain children. If he's bored, he would get a job to do.

I would tell that to Mom, too. It isn't my job to entertain your child. It's a very common occurrence the spring-summer before K, as children are ready to move on to a more structured program. It IS my job to provide age appropriate activities and materials for her child to use. Why don't they brainstorm a list of games he could play every morning before arriving at daycare?

I provide preschool only, and the same thing happens to my kids, essentially, they are outgrowing my care. It's a great opportunity for them to learn to handle boredom and be creative. I would provide more loose parts, and maybe a space at the table where he can use them by himself (as he is the oldest by quite a bit).

I agree with everything she just said ^^

It sounds like you might have a bigger problem though if you start allowing a DCP to dictate how you do stuff.

We have learning time/activities etc during the traditional school year and free play all day everyday in the summer months.

I always tell my families that kids are in charge of having fun (or not) in the summer. It builds character and allows them to build skills that will come in handy later in life.

[laundrymom]

I allow them to attend but refuse to entertain. They are children. They should be able to imagine an afternoon away easily. Loose part toys, and a bunch of fresh air should be all he needs.

[Ariana]

I had a child, same age, complain to her mom about being bored in my care. She actually enjoyed being here and played all day with the younger kids. I told the mom it was ok if she brought some electronics etc (this was back when I was a newbie to childcare) and she never played with them!! It was all an act because she wanted to be at the same daycare as her bestfriend. The mom eventually moved her to that daycare with her best friend.

Basically you need to do what is right for you and she will do what is right for her. If the child is bored then that is on him. A 5 year old is not a teenager and doesn't need a lot of different activities if they are able to use their imagination. My nearly 8 year old has a blast when she is at my day are during PD days and during the summer. She has a very active imagination and is used to being bored

[daycare]

I let the kids entertain each other. Nothing cooler to a younger child than an older one.

Make him a leader and have him help all of his little friends. He will never get bored of that.

But as others said. Don't go out of your way to please this family. They will learn to expect that and feel they have control over how you run your program.

I never under estimate the power of a 5 year old and make my kids help/entertain all the younger ones .

[nannyde]

Does the child have younger sibs in daycare?

[Miss A]

Daycare Diva and BC: what jobs do you have your bored kids do? I have a 3 & 4 year old on Tuesday and Thursday each week this summer who get bored during nap time. I have some busy bag ideas to work on over the weekend, but love the idea of "jobs" for them.

[Blackcat31]

Daycare Diva and BC: what jobs do you have your bored kids do? I have a 3 & 4 year old on Tuesday and Thursday each week this summer who get bored during nap time. I have some busy bag ideas to work on over the weekend, but love the idea of "jobs" for them.

• Cleaning toy bins (tossing broken stuff)
• Sorting bins, baskets of old stuff (putting X back where it belongs)
• cleaning/dusting (depending on age)
• picking up sticks, trash and debris on the playground, sorting out old, dried up, broken crayons and markers
• Weeding the classroom flower/veggie gardens
• Reading to the younger children
• Setting up or taking down an activity

Basically, ANY thing and everything I can think of that needs to be done that they are capable of doing.

[AmyKidsCo]

Ditto everyone else.

The only extra provision I make for school agers is that they can play board games in the gated-off living room, as long as there aren't any problems. If there are problems they're back with everyone else.

[Crazy Baby]

Does the child have younger sibs in daycare?

No younger siblings

[ColorfulSunburst]

I have three 5yo here (boys).

their favorite activities:

-coloring
-playing chess
-riding on tricycles
-water play
-chalk drawing
-flour puzzles
-Lego
-math games
-memory games

in fact all other kids (22mo-4 yo) are involved in the same activities.

[daycarediva]

• Cleaning toy bins (tossing broken stuff)
• Sorting bins, baskets of old stuff (putting X back where it belongs)
• cleaning/dusting (depending on age)
• picking up sticks, trash and debris on the playground, sorting out old, dried up, broken crayons and markers
• Weeding the classroom flower/veggie gardens
• Reading to the younger children
• Setting up or taking down an activity

Basically, ANY thing and everything I can think of that needs to be done that they are capable of doing.

Yup.

I have a montessori inspired set up, so I have child size brooms and dustpans available, too. The kids sweep, clean tables, wipe down chairs, clean toys, wash their outside toys/dishes, fill the bubble station, a bottle brush and PVC pipes take a while to clean. (In addition to what BC said.)

[Snowmom]

I do have supplies just for my older kids. My own kids are 6 & 9, so a couple years ago, I made a cabinet that only schoolagers (5+) can have access to.
I'm lucky my layout allows me to supervise them in the dining room while we are in the playroom.

The cabinet has legos, art supplies, busy finger activities (beading, origami-type activities, pre-packaged sun catchers), DIY race track w/hot wheels, etc. I also let them have limited access to the Leap pad that has ebooks and educational apps.

My older kids also have jobs during the day. They set up activities for the younger ones. They love setting up obstacle courses outside, instructing them on how to use the kid's scissors & art projects, pass out lunch supplies and help them get ready for nap & outside time.