End of my tether with 11 yr old ds being constantly "Bored"

[mrsdaz]

My ds1 is almost 11, he does a lot of sports and enjoys reading, playing out with friends etc but the minute he stops an activity he starts being disruptive saying he is bored!! He constantly does it at home and no matter what i suggest he turns it into an argument.

He even does it when we are out and im getting really embarraced with it. We were at my sisters on Friday and although she has a playstation for him to go on he still insisted on walking up and down in the living room where we were sitting talking (getting in the way of us) saying he was bored. I have stopped meeting friends for lunch etc when he is with us as he just complains the whole time and buts in the conversation. He will not be patient and sit and wants the world to revolve around him! If i ask him to please sit and wait he just starts arguing with me. (saying things like for god sake mum you dont care about me, im bored and dont want to be here!!)

Feel like im at the end of my tether and need to do something before i end up strangling him!!

I respond to "I'm bored" with a list of jobs.
Not suggestions but actual tasks.

So "I'm bored" is greeted with " ok. Go and tidy your room. All of it. Take at least an hour because I want the whole thing cleaned. Seriously. Go. Now"

They don't say it much to me.
Actually they never say it to me and all, I mean all, entertain themselves beautifully.

He is 11. Stop thinking of things for him to do or he will be the dullest 16 year old in the country.

Absolutely what Pag said, and I'd be nipping that rudeness in the bud too. It's amazing how magically unbored a child can get when they're faced with having to do a job.

i do give him jobs when were at home although he normally ends up being sent to bed for arguing!

When we are out i try asking him nicely to be patient but it always escalates, ive even tried bribery! We live quite a way from family and friends so when we see them its awful with him causing a row!

Guess i need to make him sit in a room on his own and then he will learn what boredom is!

Do just that! Don't engage in an argument with him either, as then he's got exactly what he wants - your attention.

I wouldn't be asking him nicely to be patient, I'd be telling him in no uncertain terms to be patient! He's 11, plenty old enough to behave in public! I agree re giving him jobs; even if he argues/answers back, insist that the jobs are done.

Believe me, it's likely his behaviour will get far worse once he hits his teens - get some ground rules sorted now.

A nanny I know responds to continual "I am bored" with giving the said children a day of the most unbelievable boredom where they do absolutely nothing at all...and then says to them "now THAT is boredom". Never has a problem after that...