does your 9 year old "mooch". Does it drive you nuts?

[hatwoman]

I mean sort of hanging around doing nothing, fiddling with stuff that's lying on the kitchen side/hall table. it drives me up the wall. or is it just me and mine?

My 5 yr old does that and yes it does!

Oh Dear God thank you! I have just learned that mine is not the only one. My DS aged 10 spent a while this afternoon playing on computer and is now 'bored'. He's dragging himself around the house saying he's bored with nothing to do. I have made several suggestions but to no avail. He has flung himself on hall floor and because he has started behaving badly I've told him him to go to bed.

Any solutions?

I'm probably not the one to help! on friday dd had a friend round and they both mooched. drove me up the wall. get upstairs, I bellowed, and look at your games and things. you're not going to find anything interesting to do by staring at the phone directory, dh's bike key, and a lost odd sock.

I offer a list of household jobs - that generally either (a) removes bored 7yo to be bored elsewhere or (b) gets a job done.
Today while waiting for late friend to turn up dd swept half of the downstairs and washed up! I think I'm just seeing the first consignment of pigs flying past the window . . .

Rather than "mooch", my 9yo DD's default setting seems to be to sit gawping at anything on the TV.

I'm not sure which is worse TBH.

Yes. And he slumps!

yes and yes