Here’s A Quick Way To Solve The Bored Child Problem

“I am bored.”

Very few things irk parents more than this dreaded sentence from their children. Parents try everything to keep their children from being bored – from purchasing toys and games to conducting home activities. Despite all this, children do tend to get bored rather easily. 

Children are likely to say that they are bored when they want parents to shower them with attention. It need not always be about new activities and toys. This boredom could also be a result of unspent energy that is making the child restless and uncomfortable. 

In this article, we will cover different ways to tackle this “I am bored” problem.

(Click to read the section.)

• Questions To Ask When Your Child Says “I am bored.”

• Preparing For Future “I am bored” Times

• Things To Do When Nothing Works 

Questions To Ask When Your Child Says “I am bored.”

Here are some questions to solve the boredom problem that children face. Asking these questions regularly will allow children to figure out how to deal with boredom on their own by identifying the source of their boredom. Before you ask any of these questions acknowledge their boredom by saying something like – “Things can get boring sometimes,” “I am bored too,” and “I can understand that” etc. 

• Do you want to do something creative?
• Do you want to go outside for a while?
• Do you want to read a storybook?
• Do you want to exercise? 

Preparing For Future “I am bored” Situations

Here are a few things you can do to prepare yourself for all the times your child says “I am bored”

• Stick a list of activities to do when bored where children can easily see them. You can group the activities into two types- with parents and on your own. 
• Keep an idea jar in the child’s room where they can put all their interesting ideas for when the boredom strikes. 
• Create a thinking corner or alone time corner as the last resort which has all the supplies the children need to entertain themselves. 

Things To Do When Nothing Works 

There will be times when your child will feel bored and no activity will seem to work. Here are a few things you could do to ensure that children know that they are not alone. 

• Vent about your own frustration and worries about the child’s persistent boredom to your spouse or another trusted adult. Sharing can help take the pressure off and may even result in new solutions. Ensure that the child does not hear you say any of this. 
• Remind yourself that you have a good child with a kind heart. Shower your child with attention and listen to the child. Acknowledge that it is awful being bored. 
• Do not try to fix the problem. Listen attentively and provide physical affection if the child agrees to it. 

There are times children say that they are bored instinctively and there are times when they genuinely feel disengaged. Parents should make an effort to identify the reason behind the child’s response and intervene accordingly. 

What do you do when your child gets bored? What are some activities and techniques that you use to engage them? Do let us know in the comments below.