What can I do now?.......ad nauseum

[carolynd]

My DS is 4 1/2. For the last few months all I hear every 5 mins is 'what can I do now'? It drives me mad. His nearly 3 year old brother even says it now because he hears it so much. Plus I am trying to look after a 7 month old at the same time. Any suggestion I make is not acceptable to him yet he doesn't seem to know what he wants to do. I picked him up from nursery the other day and the first thing he said was 'what can I do when I get home?'...........aaargh. We deferred him from school this year (he's a January birthday) on the advice of lots of people that boys especially do better if you wait another year (different system in Scotland where we live, to England). Please tell me this phase doesn't last too long - I just wish he could amuse himself a bit more

Don't make suggestions, don't entertain him. Creativity stems from boredom - let him get bored and wander off and find something to do by himself.

Well I'd like to tell you that this phase doesn't last long but I would be lying.
As I have a 9year old and a nearly 6 year old whose constant whine thoughout the last 6 weeks has been "what can I do now, Mummy?"

Sorry. Agree with ZuleikaD leave them to their own devices and they find something to get on with mostly.

I agree with the others - say that you don't know and don't offer any options. After a while the whining will stop and he will find something to entertain himself - for all of you it is best that he starts to learn to do that sooner rather than later. My DD1's best friend (aged 7) is like that. I find her almost impossible to have over for play dates as she is constantly asking me what to do, which I find bizarre! Yesterday I had 8 small children here (i.e. my 3 and 5 others), one little girl in DD2's year at school who I don't know very well was constantly asking the same thing - it was just so odd as the other 7 children were running around doing all sorts, but she seemed to constantly need direction as to whether to get on the trampoline or play on the swing etc etc

Thank you for your helpful replies. I totally agree - I feel it's really important for him to be able to amuse himself. I really enjoy my own company. Plus I just don't have the time or energy to devote trying to entertain him the whole time. 8 small children at once - don't think I'll ever be brave enough for that outwith birthday parties!!

My mum used to just give us a chore to do every time we said we were bored so we soon stopped saying it.