taffnus Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 What do you do to keep your kids busy? I'm finding that my dd5 is getting really bored. My dd7 has more school work to do so dd5 has more time on her own. She has "formal" work but it, of course, isn't more than an hour or so a day. She's formed a bond with an 11yo homeschooled neighbor and gets very upset when I keep her from calling her. She mopes around complaining that she's bored. This is my dd that I really believe would thrive in a school setting so it's starting to undermine my thinking. She has plenty she "could" do around the house but I believe she's really craving interaction and friendship. Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKDmom Posted April 19, 2011 Share Posted April 19, 2011 :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarreymere Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 Traditionally in my house, any kid that complains of boredom to me gets assigned a chore. Seems to cure them quickly. Even the four year old manages to occupy himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HLDoll Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 Bored kids at my house get assigned chores that are truly boring and tedious. After one or two times of me finding them something to do, they get pretty good at occupying themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I.Dup. Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 I agree, complaining about boredom isn't allowed. I, too, wonder how or if I should be keeping my children more busily occupied than they are. The fact that they have lots of siblings to play with really helps, but certain personalities seem to get stuck on the 'boredom' issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 I don't agree with assigning chores. I think that just leads to a child who won't complain about being bored, but still FEELS bored. It get the kid out of the parents hair, so to speak, but doesn't really solve the problem (for the kid, anyway...:001_smile:). Can you find more ways to provide interaction? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyto4 Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 What is she involved in? I try to find things outside of the home for my four year old like swimming lessons, gymtime at the YMCA, Sunday school, trips to the park, time with Grandma... I also let my son play on the computer and watch tv some times when I am busy with the older ones. And I try to have one of the older boys play with him while I work with the other. Five is a hard age, I think. They can't read a chapter book for an hour, or practice an instrument on their own. Even art projects require mom's help. My older boys are definitely able to stay busier as they are more independent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TKDmom Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 I'm hoping someone out there might have some better answers, but I have noticed that my ds(5) really likes to play with salt dough, do mazes and dot-to-dots, and put together puzzles. Sometimes he will listen to audiobooks, but he doesn't have the ability to sit and listen to them for hours the way my older children do. He seems to enjoy fairy tales and Mother Goose stories better than the novels that the older kids listen to. It's getting hot enough here that playing in the sprinkler is another option, but that's not something he can do while the other kids are still doing school work--they would go out and play, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 (edited) Many 5 years old like sand, water, playdough, stickers, glue sticks, water colors, chalk, clay, collage items etc. I use these things to keep my nephew engaged when I am helping my dds. He has his own couple of shelves in a kitchen cabinet where he can get to these items. He also loves the Geo Safari globe (although that talks and can get loud & annoying). He has a cabinet in the living room filled with wooden blocks, cars, dinos, animals etc. We also have dominoes and a marble run. I've also been known to let him play specific computer games. ;) Edited April 21, 2011 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 OK, this is a totally time-consuming solution, but when my kids are younger we did this and it was a huge hit and help. Get a camera. Brainstorm with your kids what they COULD do and take photos of them doing each of those things. Take photos--cheesy is good!--of them with their favorite toys, toys they've forgotten they have, craft supplies, or them with a pondering look on their face so that you can add a thought bubble later and add an idea. Make a scrapbook of all that these wonderful ideas and activities and call it The Bored Book. Point them to this book EVERY time afterwards that they complain of boredom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 Sometimes I think assigning a chore is a good consequence for sitting around whining that one is bored. I mean, I'm not there to amuse everyone and I'm especially not there to hear the kids whine (which is really what the punishment is for to me - boredom isn't necessarily a bad thing, but whining about it is). However, this sounds like a longer term sort of issue. What does your 5 yo need that she's not getting? Does she need more social time and are there ways to get that for her? Does she have a regular group of friends? Is there a class or a social activity that she does regularly - and even if there is, does she maybe need more? Does she maybe need more formal schoolwork (appropriate to her age, of course) so she and her sister have more of the same schedule and she isn't left alone? Does she maybe need more options of stuff - puzzles or playdoh or the like? Does she need more time with you - maybe she is capable of amusing herself but is just honing in on her sister's time with mom? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snickerdoodle Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 Sports, outside play, nature hikes etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cougarmom4 Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 Sounds like maybe a workbox type of idea might be helpful...tweaked a bit to not center around academics. If you have a few drawers or bins that change on a regular basis--filled with things she can do independently. Perhaps you can 'train' her to work with each bin until the timer goes off (maybe 10-15 min). Or perhaps she might be one that needs to know what the 'schedule' of the day is--and you can list things on the white board. I mean more than academics. For example, if she knows that in the sequence of the day there is time already planned to play at the park, it might help her better understand that she can entertain herself in other ways until then. My dd is a very social girl--her life seems to revolve around who she is playing with and who she gets to play with next. I think it's important for her to learn to entertain herself spending time doing worthwhile things...but I also came to realize she needs to know that independent time will come to an end, too. Hopefully you'll get some ideas on this thread to help you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 My current 5 yo is my most outgoing child and the only one who has asked to go to school. It's frustrating!!!! She's constantly asking when she's going to have a friend over or go to the park, or, or, or!!!! We keep her busy. She LOVES ballet, gymnastics, and karate. She's currently got those four times/week. (She was just asked to join the gymnastics team, but I'm not sure about that yet.) We have a number of friends in our neighborhood. I'm ALWAYS calling their moms asking if their kids can come over. My dd thrives on this. She can entertain herself if she knows a friend is coming over later. I started doing more schoolwork with dd. She LOVES workbooks. I bought some and now I give her "homework." She'll do it!!!! And, she takes it very seriously. Love that kid!!! Good luck!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taffnus Posted April 23, 2011 Author Share Posted April 23, 2011 Thanks for all of the ideas. In reading through, I really do think a big part of the issue is that she really wants social interaction. She does much better with kids who are older (at least her age) and she LOVES our 11 yo neighbor but that has its limitations, necessarily. We have plenty to do around the house: art, toys, dress-up, piano, computer, Wii. I've recently gone to a different approach to school because she's needing more (as someone suggested) and my older dd has started infecting her with her negative attitude towards school. Now, my older dd begins school progressing through 3-4 "stations" of independent work, art, educational activities, through the house while I sit one-on-one with my dd5 for "lessons." They then switch. When my dd5 is finished with her stations, she's then free to do whatever she wants. This has worked really well. We then have lunch, do our reading and have personal reading/quiet time. After that, she is immediately bored and wants a playmate. My daughters play well together but she seems to want more. I don't know that this needs "chores" as much as something else. I don't want to have to schedule her every minute and I don't think she wants that either. I guess I'm coming down to needing to find her a social outlet -- class, gym, play group, something. Make a scrapbook of all that these wonderful ideas and activities and call it The Bored Book. Point them to this book EVERY time afterwards that they complain of boredom. This was a totally fun idea. My girls would love it. You did make me think to direct her to her art folders to sort through on really bad days. Each school year I collect their art projects in a big art folder they make at the start of that year. They LOVE going through those. However, this sounds like a longer term sort of issue. What does your 5 yo need that she's not getting? Does she need more social time and are there ways to get that for her? Does she have a regular group of friends? Is there a class or a social activity that she does regularly - and even if there is, does she maybe need more? QUOTE] Thanks for all of your questions. you've helped me isolate some of the issues. Thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhrice3 Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 We never allowed the "I'm bored" chant around our house. I find that children saying this are usually looking for something they know they can't do or have. My children learned to play by themselves or outside with the dog or work on computer learning games, music practice, etc. Perhaps she needs more school work. If she is bored at this age, perhaps she could do more work or more challenging work or both. All children are different. Good luck, ReneeR P.S. The chore thing usually works well though. My husband used it once on a daughter (he had her cleaning up leaves from our huge patio after a storm), and I know many friends that have used it successfully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amy g. Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 I am not being snarky at all, but in almost 17 years of parenting, I've never had a bored kid. I'm not sure why that is. My dad commented on it when we were without power for a week. He could not believe how all of them entertained themselves-even my toddler. Our problem has always been having more interesting things to do than hours in a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 I refuse to become an entertainer for my kids. So I let them be bored. Eventually imagination will kick in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 I refuse to become an entertainer for my kids. So I let them be bored. Eventually imagination will kick in. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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