On the second day of Spring break, Jane heard, “Mom, I’m bored.”
And then, from another kiddo, “Can’t we go anywhere today? I’m so boooorrrrrreddd. There’s nothing to do.”
Jane suggested a few things the kids could do, but none seemed to appeal.
“I thought you said you had nothing to do?”
We’ve all seen this look on our kiddos’ faces. And, if we are honest, on our own as well.
My husband and I decided that “I’m bored” wasn’t something allowed in our house once our kids were old enough to use that phrase. Why? Because there’s always something you can find to do.
- Read a book
- Art projects
- Legos™ or other such creative toys
- Play a game with siblings
- Make cookies or caramel corn or some kind of treat (depending on their age)
- Play Doh™
- Build a fort out of blankets
- Indoor Hide and Seek
- Work a puzzle
- Play outside with friends
- Ride your bike
- Hide and Seek, Kick the Can, Red Rover, or other outdoor pick-up games
- My dad’s favorite: sit on the floor and let your feet hang down 😉
So how did we eliminate boredom with our kids?
The Bored Box
It doesn’t have to be a box; it could be a jar, a basket, or anything that will hold cards, popsicle sticks, or pieces of paper. Find some container you have at home and repurpose it.
The concept is quite simple: Write one thing per card/stick/paper for your bored kiddo to do.
Some people come up “fun” or “entertaining” ideas. However, I never believed it was my job to “entertain” my kiddos. We’d plan at least one fun thing to do during Spring break. But other than that, the kids had plenty of options to keep busy.
Therefore, my cards included special jobs for the “bored” child.
- Weed the garden
- Clean your closet top to bottom
- Wipe down the baseboards
- Organize the pantry –Mom’s way
- Neatly organize your sibling’s toys or clothes or closet – the way they want it
- Find all the pieces to a toy, like a Little Tikes™ Village, and put them all in a box
- Clean up the play room
- Vaccuum the stairs with the crevice tool
- Get all the dusty bunnies behind the washer and dryer
- Scrub the bathroom floor grout with a toothbrush
- Wash the blinds
How did it work?
When one of our kids said, “I’m bored,” they had to pull one of the cards from the box and do what it said.
Simple.
Very quickly, my kiddos discovered they really weren’t bored after all. Imagine that. 😉
Effective.
The important thing they did discover was how to use their imagination. And I discovered that this type of boredom really is all about attitude.
There is a boredom that is beneficial for all of us: daydreaming. But that’s a topic for another day.
How do you teach your kiddos to entertain themselves? What do you do to counteract boredom? Leave a comment below.
Live your legacy today,
Kirsten D. Samuel
Aftershock Recovery Coach
8-week Program, Custom-paced Coaching, Remote or In-person Sessions
Reading what was in the “Bored Box” made me chuckle. Great idea for moms.