“Mommmmm…I’m bored. There’s nothing fun to do around here!”
We’ve all heard it, and I remember saying it myself, many, many years ago. Sorry, mom.
This whiny sentence has plagued motherhood for generations, and will continue on, long after my children are grandparents. Unless we’re devoted to entertaining our children from the time they wake up until the sweet, relieving moment they drift off to the land of nod, it’s going to happen. And even if some Super-Mega Mom could swing that kind of schedule, her kid would just complain that he never gets any time to himself.
So, what to do when these words echo through your ears? Which, by the way, usually happens while you’re in the midst of something really awesome, like scrubbing a toilet.
Well, in my humble opinion, I feel the appropriate response is to hand the little dude with nothing to do the mighty scrub brush and let him have all the fun. I realize, however, most moms are selfish and want to keep that bundle of joy all for themselves.
If you’re looking for last minute entertainment ideas for your cherubs, give these a go:
Magazine mash-up: Grab your stack of magazines and catalogs, a pair of scissors, some glue and some construction paper. Let your child make a collage of mix and match pictures. They’ll get to be creative and you’ll finally have a reason to pitch that two-year-old issue of Better Homes and Gardens you just couldn’t let go of.
Fill the album: Every mom’s got a box of photos she’ll get to someday. Why not let your daughter go through them and organize them into albums for you. Have her sort them by theme, event or family member, or just let her go hog wild. For an added bonus, give her a couple picture frames and tell her she can pick her favorites and display them in a given room.
Read rally: Books are great, but kids sometimes forget they exist. Ask him what he’s in the mood for. Suspense? Humor? Sports? Then direct him to a book you have in your collection that fits the bill. Sometimes just having your input and recommendation is enough to really spark a child’s interest.
Odd-and-ends reborn: Have any unsightly picture frames or an extra shoebox laying around. Have your son or daughter dress them up with craft supplies or doo-dads that have been collecting dust like old costume jewelry or buttons. He can give it to grandma for her birthday or put it in his room.
There are lots of interesting things around the house for a kid to do, but they don’t see it that way. Sometimes, you just need to give them a nudge in the right direction…or buy an extra scrub brush.
Image Source: flickr.com/photos/27117655@N07/4448376213/
About jessi
All of the above are nice ideas to make the kids busy and happy. Nice post i like it so much.