Default Style Register
Daycare.com Forum
Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>My Own Kids.....Boredom
kcnjason 03:03 PM 11-27-2011
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.
Reply
MarinaVanessa 03:11 PM 11-27-2011
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
Reply
MN Mom 03:13 PM 11-27-2011
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!!!
Reply
emmajo 07:40 PM 11-27-2011
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?
Reply
Heidi 07:43 PM 11-27-2011
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!
Reply
jessrlee 04:17 AM 11-28-2011
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
Reply
nannyde 04:25 AM 11-28-2011
Originally Posted by bbo:
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!
robotic 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.
Reply
Meyou 04:40 AM 11-28-2011
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.
Reply
Heidi 05:45 AM 11-28-2011
Originally Posted by nannyde:
robotic 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.
Hex Bugs...

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&key...l_344gia23v0_e

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!
Reply
SilverSabre25 05:55 AM 11-28-2011
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.
Reply
cheerfuldom 06:18 AM 11-28-2011
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.
Reply
SilverSabre25 06:27 AM 11-28-2011
Originally Posted by cheerfuldom:
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.
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, lol.
Reply
Meyou 06:42 AM 11-28-2011
Originally Posted by cheerfuldom:
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.
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.
Reply
laundrymom 07:09 AM 11-28-2011
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.
Reply
erinalexmom 09:04 AM 11-28-2011
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
Reply
kcnjason 08:30 PM 11-28-2011
Wonderful Reply's! Thanks! I agree with everyones comments. Electronics play a huge part in our childrens lives and their imagination!!! I think a lot of it is my problem as well. We are always on the go and when they are out of school I always want to do things with them, take them places, etc and then I get frusterated cause I've been on the go with them the entire time, leaving me little rest time. I did find that when I told my girls the other afternoon that we were NOT going anywhere and that they were going to be staying home, they did find things to do. I'm happy to hear that I am NOT the only mother that has my children do chores if they are bored.
Reply
Unregistered 08:13 AM 11-29-2011
Too much TV-video-screens not good for anyone. Kids get down right ugly when you take these away after a lot of viewing.

Its hard because we want them to be up to date on technology yet we want them to learn to play with out being entertained and use their imaginations.

I always find myself in the middle of this one wondering which way to go.....future or past. I try to find middle ground. Its hard to go from being entertained to not- that is the struggle that I have. Of course limiting but that sometimes goes out the window just due to everyday life happenings, or we justify it as educational?

They even have baby ipads (similar idea) out there and are advertized as tired of your little one taking your phone-ipad-etc... now they can have there very own. I don't know what to think of this

When they go to school they are surrounded by technology, almost to the point they could have class taught by a screen.

Any thoughts, more thoughts on this subject anyone else feel caught between the past, future and now?
Reply
Tags:bored, provider - own child, provider children
Reply Up