whining children who have "nothing to do "

[willali]

AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

that's better

As you were......

[wulfstan]

"mummy, I'm booooooored."

"excellent. Boredom is character building. It'll make you a better person. You'll thank me for giving you the space to develop your own entertainment..."

he's 2.9 and doesn't really get it!

[TeeBee]

Family game of hide and seek works every time in our house. Or hiding sweets for them to find. Or quizzes with good prizes. Or a kick to the jacksy.

[frogs]

Offer a selection of household chores. That usually sees 'em off.

[ronshar]

I have already done the speach which goes something like......
When I was a girl we didnt have....................
My 8 year old DD was not impressed let me tell you

[Hecate]

And the fighting, oh dear god the fighting.
And the whinging, oh dear god the whinging.
And the moaning...
And the zombie stomping...

33 days, 20 hours and 26 minutes...

[Hecate]

25 minutes...

[belgo]

Hiding sweeties sounds like a good idea. I can hide them really quickly in difficulmt places, then I get to sit down while they hunt

[Hecate]

Or you could eat them, tell the kids you've hidden them and then they'll be busy all day...

[belgo]

that is just so cruel Hecate

[Hecate]

Yes, well, I'm about one "muuuuu-uuuuu-hum, X is mean/hit me/not sharing / I'm bored/hungry..awwww it's not faaaeeeeeaiiir (fair)" from bashing them over the head with their wii remote.

So I think I would get some sadistic joy out of it!

[Hecate]

nor does having a trampoline bought for them, or going to local pool, or joining an athletics club, or being taken 20 miles to play in my sisters little pool THREE TIMES IN A WEEK!! or going for a picnic or..or..or...arrrrrrrgggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

[VictorianSqualor]

According to 'how to talk so kids lsiten' you're not meant to offer advice apparently

Just say 'I can see you're bored, it must be boring not being able to find anything to do' ass a few hmm, yeahs in there and they'll think of something themselves.

[AMumInScotland]

The stock answer when I was a kid was "Go round round the garden (later, the block)". If we were really bored, we'd actually go and do it, but mostly we just shut up...

[WilfSell]

'Here's a spade: dig a hole'

[WilfSell]

'Muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu-u-uuuuuuuuuuuuum: I've dug the hole...?'

[WilfSell]

'Good. Now fill it in...'

Ad infinitem.

[FabioFridgeFluffFrenzy]

Yes, buy 'how to talk' book.
If it doesn't work, throw it at them.

[ronshar]

Is putting your hand up and saying "I'm not listening" bad parenting? Or same action but with the phrase "I dont care who started it, I'm not interested"?

I try to be a good mummy but really it is torture

[Tidgypuds]

I find the more I do for them and with them, the more they expect it and are ungrateful. Sometimes it does them good to be bored then they appreciate the things that are organised for them.

Treasure hunt this afternoon for us after a morning of muuuuuuuummmmmmmmmmm Im boooooorrred and constant teasing arguing and moaning.
I cant stand it had to lock myself in the bathroom for some peace for 5 mins.

[nannynz]

My parents phrase was always "only boring people get bored", I sometimes use it on my charges.

We did have jobs to do from an early age, unpaid, my first paid job from about age five was 1 cent per nail I picked up - Dad was a builder - can't remember him ever paying me either!

[SheSellsSeashellsByTheSeashore]

ronshar i do that all the time. "mum dd2 is..." "dont care im washing up go and find something usefull to do"

i have rid of my whiniest for a while and the other is alseep ah bliss.....

[Oliveoil]

say at the start of the day what you will be doing

ie this morning we will go to the park, have a picnic and then come home, then mummy has some jobs to do and you can play with your toys

etc etc

then when they start whining in the afternoon, say "oh well, we had a fun morning and I am busy now, why don't you play with some over priced plastic tat toys?" >

[Oliveoil]

I moved some toys from upstairs to downstairs and vice versa

they think they have new ones (the fules)

but tbh, mine do not leave me alone for more than 5 mins so if they are playing with toys I get MUMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE look what I have done

repeat until you give in

and they fight too

today they are off with dh and apparently "daddy doesn't do jobs annd he gives us wine gums"