in being sceptical of well intended advice to allow children to get bored so they learn how to entertain themselves?

[hmc]

I just don't think it works for all children. Personalities differ.

My 8 year old ds has this weekend been to ten pin bowling yesterday a.m. followed by lunch out, home for a couple of hours then to a quasar birthday party on Saturday afternoon. This morning he was left to his own devices but attended another birthday party this afternoon. Despite this, in the past hour he has been complaining bitterly that he has nothing to do and is horribly bored - he got really quite upset about it.

9 year old dd has had a similar but slightly quieter weekend (no birthday parties to attend but she did have a friend over to play for a couple of hours today) and she is blissfully content.

I just think that ds needs structure and a whole day of free time is like a manacle weighing heavily around his neck. I am dreading the school holidays and thinking the only way to cope is to structure his day for him - e.g.:

9 - 10.00: written project work as specified by me - might be a creative piece of writing or something similar
10 - 10.45: free time
10.45 - 11.15: p.e. (I will give them some structured exercise like sprint training against a stop watch)
11.15 -12: free Time
12.00: dc to make their own sandwich lunch
13.00: we play a board game / card game
Etc etc
I.e. I will almost give him a mini school day (he likes school)

The advantage is he will love it ....disadvantage - bit labour intensive for me...

So, am I creating a rod for my own back or should I just tough it out and hope he transforms swan like into a laid back creative child who is capable of endlessly entertaining himself. Are children these days over stimulated and I am feeding this? ....or is it a load of baloney that bored children will eventually prosper in self sufficiency?

Every time my children say they are bored, I find them a job to do. It is amazing how many things they can find to do when the alternative is helping with the washing up.

Of course children should learn to amuse themselves and play. The reality is that most adults are not good at child play - my DD wants to pretend a shoe is a princess and a fork is a whale I just can't do that, I would actually go mad.
We are in danger of producing a generation of helpless, hapless mummys boys and girls if we keep helicopter parenting

Mindosa I do so agree with you.

I am so tired if hearing parents directing and organising every freakin waking minute of these unfortunate children.

How are these pampered chicks ever going to manage as adults if they need direction all the time.

Op I think you must have an awful lot of time on your hands to be giving an 8 year old this much direction and attention.

Tell him to go outside and make up a game... To use his imagination.

Just to add where has this myth come from hat boys don't play as well as girls, utter b

Bollocks.. ( I phone) I have 2 of each and all played well.

Sympathies, OP! sounds like my two (although they're younger). I could do a timetabled day like you suggest, DS would love it (he likes structure), but I can't be arsed don't have the energy.

So sounds like we'll be OK then!

The schedule is my idea of hell!

My DS sometime says he's bored - quick reply

"Only boring people get bored"

I ignore him he wanders off huffing and an hour later he's doing lego or drawing or watching TV, or I send him out with the dogs and he comes back full of beans..