“Mom, I’m bored.” “Mom, what can I do now?” “Mom, Mom, Mom…”
Sound familiar? When does school start again? Summer when I was a kid was time for enjoying every book I could get my hands on. I’d do my chores in the morning and then either race outside to play or grab my book.
I’m sure my mom had a few “bored” statements from us but they never lasted long. Now I get to field these questions from our youngest and you know I have some answers. So what do I tell her?
CHORES
If they come to me bored then I offer them an extra job to do! All my children still have jobs to do daily but I keep a list of “5 minute jobs” that I can assign at any time. When you offer the boredom buster of chores, usually the kids get busy really quickly. And if not, then I get a clean house.
CRAFTS & GAMES
My girls love to design, draw, cut, and paint but sometimes I have to remind Mellie that her artistic side hasn’t been utilized recently. I also am learning to stop my work and spend a bit of time playing board games with Mellie or draw with her. I have a couple of books that we can draw on together.
BOOKS
Books would be my first go to when I’m bored (do mom’s ever get bored?) but sometimes we have to remind kids how amazing books are and what fun you can have reading them and learning from them. Paperpie has all kinds of great books for the summer that you can find here.
OUTDOORS
Of course being outdoors is the best thing to do in the summer. I like to sit outside writing while Mellie plays in our backyard which is really a forest with so much to explore. She is pretty good at playing on her own but she loves it when her siblings get out there to “hike” with her. In the afternoons we usually swim together and this is great for helping her sleep at night. Any outdoor activity will give them plenty to do and not get bored with this summer.
BAKING
One more thing I usually suggest to my 9 year old is baking. She loves to bake and feel as big as her older sisters and as long as she cleans up after herself, I tell her to go for it. I keep baking kits on hand for her and this seems to be the best thing for her age group at the moment. Easy, gives instructions and easy to clean up.
Keeping them busy should be something we teach them to figure out if we don’t want to hear the whining hourly this summer. Having some ideas ready for them will make this easier. I also have some ideas on teaching our children to be homesteaders which you can find here. Learning these skill will not only keep them busy but give them talents that will last a lifetime.
What do you do when your kids say they are bored?
