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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To wonder how other 7yos occupy themselves?

23 replies

Weta · 07/01/2011 09:08

DS1 is complaining that he gets bored, and the crap weather at the moment (still on holiday here) doesn't help.

He's allowed an hour of computer/tv a day, maybe a bit more in the holidays. He has a fair bit of Lego etc but not as much as some of his friends.

He loves reading but races through library books at great speed and then has to wait until next trip.

We do play games with him, but also have our own stuff to do and think he should be able to occupy himself when DS2 is napping or out.

Any suggestions? I was thinking along the lines of making up a craft box for him to use, but all ideas are welcome!

OP posts:

QuintessentialShadows · 07/01/2011 09:11

My son loves researching topics on the internet, and then he will write a synopsis.

Or he sets himself projects: Find all the names of every "Beyblade" there is (on the internet), and match them all into pairs and do imaginary tournaments.

He is 8.

BreakOutTheKaraoke · 07/01/2011 09:11

I tell my DD just to stop whinging and get on with it! She spends hours doing imaginary play with playmobile and Barbies. If she whines that shes bored, I tell her she can go clean something, that normally cures it.

Original poster

Weta · 07/01/2011 09:14

QS - we haven't let him loose on the internet yet but maybe should consider it... or give him ideas for writing stories or something.

BreakOut - that's what I normally do too but am feeling a bit bad and wondering whether I ought to be providing something more, or at least some kind of springboard. Am always a bit taken aback at the vast amounts of toys other kids seem to have, although I am not convinced it makes any difference as the ones with the most toys seem to spend all day on Wii etc. Like your cleaning idea!

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selfishmum · 07/01/2011 09:16

My 7yr old and her friends (boys and girls) play Club Penguin on the internet! They love it.

However, she stays on it for hours so not a good idea if you want to limit his computer time!

My 7yr old also has a DS which she plays a lot

(am bad mother and let my child stare at screens a lot!)

geezmyfeetarecold · 07/01/2011 09:16

My son never got bored until we bought him a ds. Now when its "time up", he seems to have trouble occupying himself. Previously he had no problem.

HaveAHappyNewJung · 07/01/2011 09:17

I was a projecty child as well, always writing stories researching topics.

Craft box is a great idea - one project that I've done with my stepchildren is making our own board games.

jacquiel · 07/01/2011 09:17

Help you...
Write the shopping list - adding own ideas, and writing what you say.
Plan what to have for tea with you after looking in fridge etc
Clean with you (sounds boring but my 7 yo loved cleaning stuff (with me - like a game)
Plan an activity for another day - write down what you might need, or where you might go etc
Change the beds with you (much hilarity can be had here)

Deux · 07/01/2011 09:40

I'm in BreakOut's school of thought though realise I sound like my mother. I do suggest cleaning too if he's that bored. I've even said 'the devil finds work for idle hands' .

DS will occupy himself with lego for hours. He builds his own models and then photographs them and sometimes makes short films. (He got a camera for his birthday). What about guiding him on the lego front eg, make up your own Star Wars Clone trooper attack ship then we'll photograph it.

We have a large craft box and I keep things like loo roll tubes, empty tea bag boxes and give DS a pot of pva and he'll make models.

Air drying clay is a good one too. My DS has made some small pots and stuff that he's got in his bedroom. There's a Mister Maker book that's got some good ideas in it. Cut out or draw a shape/character on card and colour it in then glue it to a wooden clothes peg. Hey presto a personalised memo clip thing. Add a stick on magnet and it can go on the fridge/radiator.

Origami book and papers? DS likes this. Maybe get some kids craft book from the next library trip. You can buy origami books with papers quite cheaply on amazon. There's also a range of books called 'How to draw thumb things/people/animals'. They come with an ink pad and the idea is that the basis of the drawing is a thumb or finger print then you draw on the details.

Print off colouring pages online, there are loads around. My DS is a big Star Wars fan so we choose the ones he'd like together then print them off. Google, eg, 'star wars free printable colouring pages'.

Are you in Scotland? Long holidays.

welshbyrd · 07/01/2011 09:44

I have same problem with my 7yoDS geezmyfeetarecold - when told times up on his ds, he moans he is bored, nothing to do. Never once said this before having the ds

OP - when I manage to tackle ds off DS, he quite likes playing on a "fun maths games" online, it was a website he found out about at school, he loves it.

Also, really would suggest pictureka board game, we bought it for xmas for our DD12, but the whole family love it. DS has dyspraxia, so this game has been fab for his hand eye co-ordination

Also, I found DCs enjoy hoovering [funny when DD12 hit her teens, the enjoyment disappears], mopping, polishing, DS loves helping doing things like that.Even have DD20months, loves helping to fill washing machine, lets see how enthusiastic she is when she hits her teens

Original poster

Weta · 07/01/2011 10:05

Wow, thanks all for the suggestions! we are in Luxembourg so completely different holidays :)

selfishmum - didn't mean to sound judgey about screens, it's just that we have worked out our rules and want the kids to do other stuff around it. But each to their own :)

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charliesmommy · 07/01/2011 10:12

I was going to suggest the charity shop for more books, but that may not be an option if you are in Luxembourg.

What about jigsaws. At that age I loved them and would be quiet for hours.

Astrophe · 07/01/2011 10:23

paper aeroplane making book?
My DD is 6.5 and she listens to audio books a lot - same ones again and again. www.bookdepository have them cheap. Her latest is The Borrowers and we all really enjoyed it.
She draw a lot. legos a bit, playmobils a bit, also loves using watercolours paints, and I like these too as there is not much to clear up, unlike poster paints.

Today we made playdough and then both DC spent a happy hour modelling.

We have a 1 hour screens rule too, and I must say, generally speaking she and DS are pretty good at occupying themselves.

Original poster

Weta · 07/01/2011 11:32

Charliesmommy - we do have a few jigsaws and he does them sometimes but isn't wildly keen. Might try and suggest it though.
No charity shops here really but I do trawl through several libraries on a regular basis!

Astrophe - thanks, will look into those ideas too. And maybe a new set of watercolour paints and setting up the easel in the laundry would help :)

He's fine when DS2 is around (except when they're fighting of course!) but goes through different phases of being bored or not when on his own.

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charliesmommy · 07/01/2011 11:36

What about a Kindle. I would normally say I prefer the look and feel of a real book, but it may be a good option for him if he loves reading.

wolfhound · 07/01/2011 11:51

If he's a big reader, then maybe writing stories based on characters in the books he's just read - moving on to writing his own stories? You'll need to read them and be interested in them to make him feel it's worthwhile. I'm sympathetic to him re: running out of books - I was a big reader as a child and would have hated running out of books. Can you go to library more often?

Original poster

Weta · 07/01/2011 12:57

I'd prefer to keep to real books if we can... I was a big reader as a child too, so I do understand (and have sent DH off to library with him today) - it's worse at the moment because the school library and my work library are closed over the holidays, whereas he normally gets to them once a week.
Story writing definitely has potential...

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whatkatydidathome · 07/01/2011 13:03

ds (8) writes computer games online - there are various sites where you can do this - you stick the game up and it gets rated by others. Very basic ones. Also he meets various friends online in various virtual worlds, plays his DS, plays with lego and runs around playing with balloons. dd (10) writes stories and reads. Both at the moment are very into animation so do a lot of making films with an old video camera and soft toys (stop-go animation). Also Phun is excellent. www.phunland.com/wiki/Home
ds does this for hours - highly recommended.

FlorenceAndTheMachine · 07/01/2011 13:10

DS is 7 and left to his own devices would do Club Penguin A Lot.

I have realised this is making him a grumpy child so have cut down amount of internet time for him. Early days but he is now doing more Lego, drawing, writing weird stories etc. He also likes doing things like drawing characters from say Club Penguin and colouring and cutting them out.

Was getting very into flags yesterday.

SkyBluePearl · 07/01/2011 13:14

My 7 year old has one hour of screen time each day (he can choose between tv and Wii)and then reads for England. When DS2 aged 2 is awake they often play games together. Other wise i make sure that he has a shed load of library books and beanos about. 7 year old does a few jobs for me or his dad too, plays with friends, completes any homework, attends sports clubs, play board games, mess around with his skateboard/scooter/bike/roller skates. He also likes to make up performances and dances to music.

charliesmommy · 07/01/2011 13:14

If he likes making things... how about a dolls house.. They arent just for girls, and its great fun decorating, making furniture, and making up stories. Doesnt have to cost a lot of money either.

Another option is a cheap digital camera. He is old enough to start getting into photography, and now that there is no need for film developing etc, its instant results and could start a lifelong hobby too.

SleepingLion · 07/01/2011 13:15

DS came home last night having done a Powerpoint at school and wanted to do his own here. So he spent an hour looking up mythical creatures and designing his Powerpoint - as long as you have your parental controls set up so that he can google safely for the pictures/info he wants, this is a fun AND educational way to keep occupied

DS does spend hours reading, playing with Lego and listening to his audio CDs. He has also just begun designing his own comic strips.

SkyBluePearl · 07/01/2011 13:15

oh yes and drawing cartoons, watercolour painting and pastels. We have one of those how to draw books and it's broken down into stages.

Original poster

Weta · 07/01/2011 16:08

Thanks for the latest ideas! he does love reading and drawing/craft so being more regular with the library and revamping our art supplies would definitely help.

We do have an old digital camera waiting in a box until he's 'old enough' so maybe now is the time :) will look into the internet ideas too.

He's actually been great all afternoon while DS2 and I had a long nap, so maybe I should take back my comments!!

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