My boys constantly complain they are bored. Its driving me mad..

[sameb]

I have two boys 9 & 7 and they spend all day wondering around the house moaning they have nothing to do and they are bored!!
I then suggest, going out on their bikes or scooters, playing football, puzzles, games, playing with lego... eveything I can think of and they just say "No". I have explained how lucky they are to have everything they have been given and they should make the most of it. Even when I suggest going for a walk or to the park, they moan that they dont want to.
I dont understand, I dont know how else to get them motivated, does anyone else have this issue? Ore are they turning in to teenagers already??

Are they saying they're bored because they're trying to browbeat you into more screen time?

If not I'd just let them get on with it. 'Boredom' is good for growing minds, it's when they become most creative.

Make a list of chores and every time they complain of being bored you give them a chore to do. They will quickly find things to occupy themselves with.

I get annoyed with my dses who are the same age as yours when they do this too. It's more the 9 year old, the 7 year old will quite happily watch tv or playing his room, but the 9 year old seems to have to have me or someone entertaining him 24/7!! I constantly tell him he needs to learn to amuse himself, play with the billion toys he has and got for Christmas, read a book, play on his scooter etc. annoys me when I have to be involved all the time. I do play with him, we are booked for a game of operation later this afternoon, but if am not here for his convenience all the time and he has to learn.....

Im sure your right Laurie, if I said go and watch tv or play on the computer they would be happy as, and I wouldnt hear from them for hours, but really try to restrict their time in front of the screen. My husband says they will learn to entertain themselves, which they did when they were little, it seems the older they are and the more they have they dont know what to do!
I like they idea of chores, they do a few, maybe I need to start adding some more.
Mine dont have to have me around, they just follow me a round when they are at a loose end, they have each other to entertain each other, but all they end up doing is fighting.. it seems you cant win.

I feel your pain.

I find what LastingLight said is soooooooo true.

Try it!

One warning and then chores for 'bored' people in our house.
The one warning is issued at times, but I don't get the complaint of being bored a second time! They would prefer be bored than do chores .

Chores it is!
Thanks

My nearly 11yr old DS is like this. His 9yr old sister can amuse herself for a good 1-2hrs at a time, reading books if all else fails, whereas he can't amuse himself for more than 10 minutes! He's either talking to one of us, annoying her, or playing with the dog (who often ends up hiding under my desk when she wants some respite from it!). And yes, he also has a room full of "stuff" but he needs someone to engage him with it.
Prime example, this weekend was a friend's birthday and we got him a Diablo. My son's had one of these for a good couple of years, it's been sitting gathering dust for at least a year. After giving one to his friend and seeing him play with it, he spent a good hour or so on it, outside, yesterday. It's like he needs someone else to inspire him, else he doesn't know what to do!
So, I feel your pain, I really do. And, needless to say, if I let himself plug into a screen of some sort I wouldn't hear from him for hours but I just refuse to do that though some days it would definitely be easier!