To ban 'I'm bored'

[Mrsknackered]

I've had enough!
We are in fucking centre parcs. I saved my arse off so 4yo DS can have a proper bloody holiday as we all deserve after a crappy start to 2017, but his constant declarations of boredom are driving me up the wall.
We've had breakfast al fresco, cycling, play park, swimming and a 20 minute activity and I decorated gingerbread men with him. I am now cooking tea. All I can hear is 'I'm bored' being chanted. Has been the song of choice constantly today, including in the activity. I've told him repeatedly that it's rude. Starting to seriously regret all the efforts I have made. Blood is boiling.
What more do you want?????
Should've just bought him a fucking iPad
Just needed to vent

[Chocmudpie]

Has he got anything to play with? Can he watch tv? Can he plau outside is there a patio bit etc?

[Mrsknackered]

He's got some dinosaurs with him, a magazine and pens/Paper/chalkboard.
I've offered all of the above, think he's just being a PITA

[Clawdy]

Whenever kids say "I'm bored!" try saying " Perhaps that means you're boring...."

[Cinderpi]

My mum's response was to immediately find me a job to do, I very quickly stopped saying I was bored...

[ErrolTheDragon]

My stock answer to 'I'm bored' was along the lines of 'Good! So you have time to use your imagination to think of something to do'. (and when she was old enough follow with a small lecture how scientists have found its good for kids to be bored and have to think of things to do for themselves. Cured her pretty well!)

TBH I think your DS has just discovered a big red Mummy Button ... try to feign nonchalance if you possibly can.

[IHeartKingThistle]

Yep, if mine say it they get an instant chore to do. They haven't said it for a while...

[Katedotness1963]

My eldest wandered into the living room earlier, complaining of being bored. I made him do the hoovering.

[KanyesVest]

"I'm bored" had a harsher penalty than cursing when I was growing up, 20p in the curse jar for swearing, 50p for I'm bored! We learned to entertain ourselves or we couldn't afford comics!

My two often use bored and tired interchangeably. Sounds like a busy day, maybe time for some cbeebies if you can?

[WinkyisbackontheButterBeer]

In the words of my mum
"Only boring people get bored. Now go and find something to do before I fund you something to do."

It does sound as though he might be doing it for a reaction. Deep breath and countdown to wine o'clock because it's your holiday too.

[KenAdams]

Get him emptying the cutlery from the dishwasher

[EatDessertFirst]

I will allocate chores to whichever of my DC claims boredom. They have more books and toys than I ever had at their age. On the plus side, DS likes to hoover and sweep and DD is a dab hand with the polish and duster!
YANBU. Ignore him till he finds something to do.

[summersloegin]

Gosh how frustrating for you. I really sympathise x

[Leeds2]

Hope things get better!

Would agree with a PP that he is probably tired, so an evening watching DVDs/TV snuggled together on the sofa is probably in order. Followed by an early night.

[WellErrr]

It's not allowed in our house.

Every time a child DOES say 'I'm bored,' I give them a really crap job to do.

Try it!

[MarcelineTVQ]

Sadly I think you nailed it on the head with the iPad comment OP :(

[Mrsknackered]

I don't know why I didn't think of the crappy chores! Thanks guys, he isn't gonna know what's hit him tomorrow.
He's fallen asleep mid moan, thank goodness

[Lochan]

It's a banned term in our house. Only boring people get bored.

If you can't think of a way to entertain yourself I can always find a long list of dusting, hoovering, sock pairing, weeding, window cleaning, dish washing etc etc to be done.

The children learned pretty quickly (as have visiting children )

[Reow]

Tell him to stop being an ungrateful little gobshite and show him some footage of Aleppo.

Then go buy yourself an expensive bottle of gin.

[BikeRunSki]

"Only stupid people get bored".

This won't work away from home, but at home, any bored child is given a carrier bag to fill with toys and games for the charity shop. Either - we clear out some outgrown stuff, or the DC realise that they do have something to occupy themselves with.

[fibrecruncher]

Like ops my mum ALWAYS replied only boring people get bored. It stuck as I never say I'm bored. If I feel myself even slipping into the realm of boredom it gives me a jolt to shake my mind up a bit.

[fibrecruncher]

Oh and I'm quite jealous, we've been wanting to get to center parks for ages. Enjoy

[ineedamoreadultieradult]

If you tell me you're bored you get a job to do. If you dont want to do the job then you stay bored

[TiredMumToTwo]

To be fair, none of mine have ever said this but that's because they're spoilt beyond belief and would probably just pick up an iPad! When I was little, my Mum's response was, "Great, I'll find you something to do" I.e. A chore so we ended up never saying it. As an adult I joked about this with my parents and my Dad said he found it insulting when children said they were bored because of all the lovely things he'd provided for them to play with. Really shouldn't happen at Centre Parcs, think I would be having a word about how lucky he is to have a holiday at all.

[EdwardElric]

My nephew never said that again after the 'learning how to scrub a toilet' incident

[Wando1986]

"I'm bored" doesn't always mean they're bored. It normally means they want some form of physical or emotional attention but can't express that. Stick him on your knee, give him a cuddle and talk to him about anything and everything and adventures you'll be having tomorrow.

If a 4yr old is genuinely bored beyond that, then that's something you're doing wrong, not him. He's FOUR.