So…you’re bored?

What is a mom to do when one of her children (or ALL the children) complain of being bored?

If you make an activity suggestion, you can usually tell what kind of mood they’re in by their responses.  If they snap out of their malaise, say, “Oh, yeah! Thanks!” and race off, they may have just needed a mental kick start.  For these situations, it’s good to have them make and post a list of “what to do when I’m bored” activities.  You can direct them to the list instead of asking Mom.

If their response is along the lines of, “I don’t want to/I did that already/I’m just BORED,” I usually perceive that they aren’t really looking for something to do, they are in the mood to be entertained – by someone or something else.  I want my children to think for themselves, and to make their own activities (within limits, of course!).

So when I see this attitude, I have several things I do to help them “snap out of it” – these have been very effective in stopping the “I’m bored” complaint.

“If you’re done with all your chores, you can help Mommy with hers until you think of something to do.” Then I have them work with me for at least 15 minutes, giving them many different little tasks, chatting with them.  If they show a bad attitude while working, I add another small chore for them to practice working diligently without complaining.  I have found that hard work dispels boredom – fast!

“Well, sit down on the couch, fold your hands, and just sit for a bit. Life is full of times when you’re going to be bored, like in a waiting room, and I want you to practice what to do in those situations.  Sit still, don’t goof off, and you can get up when the timer goes off.  While you’re waiting, think of something to do when you’re done.”

“Go run around the house 5 times and report back to me.” Maybe all they need is a little exercise to get more blood to their brain.

If they’ve come inside from free time complaining there’s nothing to do (with a huge yard, tons of trees, and a lot of siblings) I will send them back outside and tell them to sit under a tree until they figure it out.  Many times my children will say they just want to read (i.e. I don’t want to be outside right now).  I will tell them that’s fine – they can take their book OUTSIDE.  I watch from a window, and usually they are up again in 5 minutes because they suddenly remembered how not to be bored!

After one of these activities, next time boredom rolls around, they usually say, “Mom, I was wondering if I could…..” and they request permission for an unusual, but allowed, activity.  I try to always say “yes!” to reward them for coming up with a solution on their own – not relying on outside entertainment, or foolishness – to get them through that bored time.

You can check out my other WFMW tips…

This post is participating in the special “Mom, I’m Bored” summer edition of Works For Me Wednesday.