what do your children do to keep them entertained?

[mouses]

when I was young I would be out with friends, over the park climbing trees. the games console was never permanently plugged into the tv, was only allowed when mum went shopping or at the week ends.
back then the streets seemed more safe, there was less crime and the kids had a little more respect.

I ask because all my kids seem to be interested in is the blooming xbox, ps3 or tablet!!! ive brought every board game imaginable but they're just left collecting dust.
I would never of let them have a games console in the first place but the pressure to keep up with the times caved me in - for instance an old friend said
''how could I live with myself that my ds was the only kid in his class not to have one, and if he had a sleep over wouldn't know how to play a games console?!''
that made me feel guilty and iworried he could be laughed at so at the age of 8 he got one. which meant ds 5 at the time then TOO became glued to it.

now its all they do, even dd 4yo loves playing on the tablet
ds2 isn't as bad and does go out to play but comes in because the kids over the park are cursing or bullying him.

so im asking what parents who's kids DONT have games consoles do with themselves?

I could take them swimming, cinema etc but funds just aren't there im afraid, park doesn't entertain the 12yo, after school club does football or netball which their not into and the only hobbie club near me is all dancing! again which they don't want to do. tried drama club but got bored of it....
seem to be stuck in a rut with no ideas left?????

I know it's awful how gaming has taken over. As a child if i wasn't out with my friends playing in the street or at the park we would have fun playing imaginary games at each others houses.

Perhaps try having more playdates? Maybe have a chat with some the parents of your children's closer friends or ones who live locally, agree on playdates with only limited gaming or no gaming at all. See how quickly the bored games come out :)

My dss is 12 and we have time restrictions with his gaming. We watched that experiment on tv last year that showed how too much screen time affects them in so many ways. After school no gaming after 8pm, we watch a tv series til 8:45pm when he brushes his teeth and then its story in bed for 15-30 mins. Lights out and no phone in room.

When he has friends over we try to limit the time on the computer (not giving a choice) we tell them it's movie time or we are all going to play Monopoly. Or chuck them out in the garden etc.
He recently had a playmate at a friends who have no playstaion, iPads etc and a tv the size of a laptop. He couldn't believe it. However he had a great day playing bored games, and sports in the local park facilities.

I hope this helps, it's more tiring for the parents because a lot of the time if you're saying no you have to be prepared to do something with them or mediate the siblings playing together :)

thanks for replying, was thinking this was yet another unanswered thread.

forgot to mention in op, going to sound bad, but they don't have friends who's mums let them in to play. ds2 9 will go to park with a friend for alittle while, I don't have any friends (sado I know!) so it makes it hard to arrange other options?
like you, I was always out with friends - they were never allowed in mine and I only ever had 2 mates whos house I went in - but that wasn't until I was about 13yrs old.

worse thing I ever done was to sell their lego collection, im talking thousands of pieces, divan bed base full!!!!! I still kicking myself over it - but the reason behind it was what they kept making. guns, bow and arrows, catapult, minecraft stuff... then was left ALL OVER THE HOUSE and no one wanted to pick it up so I threatened to sell it! Ooops.

ive tried board games, by time we set them they get board within 10mins, ds2 has is terrible looser and will throw the board up in the air - I would try and carry on the games without him but its just disruptive.

im gonna sit the kids down later and discuss about the usage of the consoles, ask them what else would entertain them. see where I get

Ok how about: Stop gaming from a certain time and then sit down as a family and watch something of an evening.
So maybe the 9 and 12yr old game while you read, paint, tea party, bake, etc with 4yr old. Maybe the two of you do interactive learning games on comp? Dinner time,bath and bed time for her and you watch a TV series like smallville or something with the other two. Then either you read to 9 yr old or they both read for half hour in bed. Lights out?

8pm is games off time, 9pm week end.
9yr old wont play games or sit still long enough to watch a film - he's hard work this one! he's more of a destruct and rebuild to see how It works child... so I thought about sitting with him on my laptop maybe to watch 'how do ??? work' etc?? or is that as bad cos he's still staring at a screen?

12yo, unless his eyes are glued to a game 'theres nothing to do!' he is a really good artist but like myself (as I used to draw at his age) - it was only when I fancied it, I didn't always feel in the mood.

dd 4yo, is only in nursey for the morning so we manage to sit and watch cartoons together, play ball, go park.... tho she does like to sit with the tablet and watch dora or similar.

my dc's are quite mature for their age, only dd likes story time.

i was just wondering what other families do to get kids through the days minus gaming?

I think you need more toys and things tbh esp for 4 year old. My 4 year plays daily with Lego, trains, paint, playdough, drawing, beads, construction sets, cars, and outdoor stuff. We have an Xbox but it's dhs and none of the children have played with it yet, it's in a cupboard and used when they are in bed occasionally

yes dd has plenty, she loves playing with her trainset, kitchen set, i made her her own chalk board, she plays dress up with her dolls - i didn't mean we sit all day infront of tv worded it wrong.

its the older ones who seem to have 'nothing to do!' i remember being a child & 5days after xmas saying 'i having nothing to do' lol maybe its karma?
ive actually just gone into the boys room and switched the computer off because yet again ds2 is crying cos he's died on a game and then threw the nearest thing on the floor.
as i mentioned, ive bought games and they would rather sit on the beds moaning then play games. they have nerf guns, went outside to play with them and they got broke by the neighbourhood brats kids

im goin to buy a pack of cards see if it interest them?

Mine are teens now, but have always done other things as they have never been allowed to sit with screens during the day. While they have that option, they will probably choose it.
In terms of what they do (above 12) when not on screens, ds has always still met mates in the park for a kick around. All of mine do a lot with Scouts too, so are often out and about camping, climbing, hiking, kayaking, etc, or fundraising for it or planning, or doing stuff as young leaders or doing training such as first aid training.

wow, your kids sound great. wish mine would have that mind set,

its hard when ds12 mates are too busy playing their Xboxes - ds wont go over the park on his own. also he says the park is full of kids drinking and smoking weed and he wouldn't feel comfortable there. which i don't either when i go with the ds1 and dd. we have a communal garden which he sometimes go out to, though the rules are no ball games, bikes or scooters so kids get bored an come in.

there aint anything nearby to do climbing, hiking etc, except when he went to the nearest place like that on a school trip which cost me £96 for 3 days!! i don't have a lot of money and most activities cost and with 3 to pay for its a struggle.

Thats another reason that Scouts is so good - doesnt cost you an arm and a leg to take part in all these activities.