As moms I think we've all got a word or words that our children say that just get under our skin. Agree?
Mine is the B-Word.
You know the one: B-O-R-E-D.
I despise it and when it dare be uttered forth from the mouth of a child in my home, I cringe. In summertime, I cringe even more. Of course, my dear boy knows this and I kid you not, he uses it just because he can. And now, he's even began spelling it because he knows that his utterance of it will cost him yet another lecture.
I'm not sure that he even knows the meaning, despite my numerous explanations. I also know that my kids have 'things' and 'stuff', creativity and imagination, so there seems no way possible that there could be boredom in this house.
But when I'm just in the first week of summer vacation and I hear 'I'm bored', I clearly see that something's gotta give.
We'll have fun this summer and we'll be plenty busy. There are sure to be many days with planned activities and events away from home, but I also think there can be plenty that can be enjoyed at home too. I want to keep the summer fun and full of memories for the kids, but how do I do that while keeping boredom at bay?
I want there to be days of reading books in the shade, taking a swim in the lake, visiting with friends and family, along with days to just 'be'. Anyone have any tried and true methods you can share? I'm really thinking about enforcing a penalty for every time the word 'bored' is used, but what other deterrents can I use? Seasoned moms, chime in!
My sanity will thank you come September.
I've got two tried-and-true ways to beat these boredom blues. One thing I've done is create an "I'm Bored" jar. At the beginning of the summer I come up with all kinds of things to do, like blow bubbles or catch fireflies or have an indoor campout. I write each one down on a slip of paper, fold them up and put in a big jar. When one of the kids says THE PHRASE, out comes the jar. We pick one slip and that is what we do for the day.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing I've done is the ABC summer. Using a sheet of paper, write the alphabet down the left side of the paper. After each letter, write down something to do that starts with that letter....cook a new recipe, lunch with Daddy, etc. I reserve the letters that my kids names start with for their special day - I know one of my kids loves Dairy Queen, so on his special day we go to Dairy Queen.
Hope these ideas help!!
jobs!!
ReplyDeleteWhen they say I'm bored, give them a job....make a job jar like Paula's I'm bored jar!!
This is kind of meant kiddingly, but only kind of.
That is what I did Sarah, was if I heard them say they were bored, I always had a chore that they could do and they usually found something to do really fast.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE Paula's ideas!!!!!
ReplyDeleteNot to sound horrible here, but sometimes the word "mom" drives me nuts. I once told them that I'm getting a new name and I will not tell them what it is :)
We don't really use the word bored much around here....only boring people can be bored. My kids don't want to think that they are boring/uninteresting people. Instead, they ask for help "finding something to do".
ReplyDeleteI think that it is a good thing for kids to be "bored". To be forced to come up with something to do/play either on their own or with a sibling. Sometimes it is hard to just stand back and not organize/structure something, but give it a try. You'll be amazed at what they come up with!
Enjoy your summer! :-)