can anyone help?

[Charjames]

I'm a single parent to an amazing 9 year old boy, i work full time and make sure every evening we play with his Lego or read or do something that he wants to do, but more recently he keeps telling me he's bored even though his bedroom is full of toys. On my day off the other day I built all his Lego up ready for him when he came home to play and he's told me he doesn't want to play it, and as I was cooking tea him then telling me he's bored. Can anyone suggest anything?

[Saxons]

Play dates! He probably means he would like some company of his own age

[SisterViktorine]

How many out of school activities does he do? He sounds like he's ready for a sport that would really tire him out.

Football or swimming club 3 or 4 nights a week and then maybe cubs on top as they are quite active at weekends?

[Charjames]

I feel so stupid I never even thought of after school activities because he goes to after school club until I finish work. I might try swimming thank you ladies

[ohdearlord]

I think single kids get sick of grown-up company. We go in for lots of activities after school to help.

[starry0ne]

I am LP of 8 year old..He spent much of Christmas playing outside on the street...

Has he grown out of lego? Does he do out of school activities..Does he have a game console...Maybe play with him on that.. top trumps / board games... Does he just want to chill out and watch Tv...We sometimes have film night...Tea in front of Tv and a movie....

[Charjames]

He has a game console and we play on that regularly and weekends we go somewhere for an adventure but I think everyone's right he might be getting bored of my company day in day out

[Charjames]

We live on a main road so Not to keen on him going out to play

[Tiggeryoubastard]

He while point and the fun of Lego is to build. Why are you doing that for him?

[Tiggeryoubastard]

The whole, not he while.

[Charjames]

He's always liked playing with it once it's built rather than build it, he'll make random things but sets he doesn't like building it

[sleepyhead]

It's ok to be bored sometimes. In fact I'd go as far as to say it's important to be bored when you're 9 - it makes you think about how to amuse yourself.

Ds1 is 9 (no longer an only but ds2 is 2 and so not usually considered adequate company) and frequently says he's "bored". He's got plenty of toys, books, he could do his homework, draw, daydream, look out of the window. Hell, he could even tidy his room if he's bored enough .

It sounds to me like you do loads with your ds - probably more than I do with ds1. I wouldn't get too hung up on the only thing. Children his age with siblings will also be bored and fed up of each other's company if they play together at all.

We have play dates roughly once a fortnight and that's good for him getting to play with friends his age outside school, but there's no correlation I can see between frequency of playdates and boredom!

[Charjames]

Thank you so much, yeah he's never bored enough to tidy his room funnily enough I'm definitely going to try the play dates though

[iPaid]

Cubs/scouts?
IPad?
Telly?

[Thumbcat]

I was constantly bored as a child and I had a sibling. It's just a kid thing. It sounds like you play with him far more than I do with my 8yo DS. I just tell him to find something to do or I'll find him some extra homework [evil].

[angemorange]

My DS is 9 and goes to Football and Scouts during the week. He's an only child but never really seems bored - he likes playing Minecraft and some other games on the tablet but I limit his use of them.

Could you get him interested in a hobby like Football cards or crafts?

Ideally you want something he can amuse himself with! I wouldn't worry about constantly providing entertainment - all kids have to find some way of independent play. Sounds like you are doing a great job!

[Sadik]

"I'm bored"
"Oh, that's good - I've got (insert job X) that needs doing"
"It's alright Mum, I'm ok" . . .

Mind you, these days prising her out of her room and making her interact is the issue (13 now)