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Tips for Dealing with A Bored Child
Bored Child

"I'm Bored"

Ever hear this from your child? (Like I need to ask.) We all hear it from our kiddos at one time or another…some of us more so than others.

There are a few points that can be brought to your child's attention next time you hear him or her utter this complaint.

First of all you can point out that your job as a parent does not include "entertainment director."

Next, you could point out that people who are easily bored are usually that way because they lack imagination and/or creativity. Essentially, the claim of being bored is nothing more than an admission that one lacks such qualities. If you are indeed bored then use your imagination and/or creativity to dig your way out of it.

All I have to say when my children claim that they are bored is "Great! Come over here and I will find something for you to do." They both know that claims of boredom will have them doing housework and other chores. I let them know that they can either find their own thing to do or I can help them find something constructive to do, such as weed-pulling, garage sweeping, or laundry folding. Once these suggestions are made, it's only a matter of seconds before they magically find something to do…without requiring my help. Funny how that works.

Another suggestion is to hand your child a piece of paper then have him or her write a list of 15 things that he or she can do when bored. This will not only give your child something to do, but when the list is done then he or she can choose something off of that list to do…problem solved.

I often set limits around what my kids CAN do when they claim they are bored. For instance, I tell them to find something to do that is quiet, inside, and that doesn't involve dragging a bunch of items out of their rooms…or, to find something active to do outside. Setting limits ensures you won't be dealing with other "boredom-related" headaches. There's my two cents as it relates to bored children.

Chris Theisen is the creator of The Parent Coach Plan, a simple and easy-to-use in-home discipline program that provides parents with the information and tools that are needed to establish effective discipline. Use this program to develop a firm, fair, consistent, and structured discipline regimen in your home.