Huckleberries Online

How To Deal w/’Mom, I’m Bored”

Posted by DFO

May 15, 2009 9:08 a.m. • 7 comments

I saw a story from The Associated Press, “Tween-teen parents work to ward off summer boredom” (posted below). The story described the dilemma of how to keep young teens with working parents active and entertained during their summer vacations, particularly those kids too young to drive, get summer jobs, or whose families can’t afford to put them in summer camps or day programs. It got me thinking — I never really dealt with summer boredom growing up. But, looking back, I can see that my parents wisely had a plan of action to help keep my two siblings and me active in the summer months (really year-round, for that matter)/Kendel Murrant, 2C Etc., Idaho Press-Tribune. More here.

Question: How do/did you deal with the familiar summer complaint from your kids: “Mom (or Dad), I’m bored”?

Seven comments on this post so far. Add yours!

Charlie on May 15 at 9:34 a.m.
The same way my parents dealt with me, “lawns need to be mowed and weeds need to be pulled.”
Pecky on May 15 at 10:11 a.m.
I am not a bad parent I was actually a pretty great one (and yes you can ask my kids) but my answer to that would always be -
“… so?”

Providing your kids with a bunch of ideas and .. “ok honey lets see..? what can we do..? (we?)” will only make themneed you more and more to find things to do.. I remember the days of building with rocks and/or sand and inventing the best of the best device to be able to go deeper in the lake.. etc.

All kids want today - and moms! dont be mad at me- but all they want when they say “Mom Im bored..” is their gameboy back.

That was a big no no in summer days. I dont know the name of what a “gameboy” was to my kids today..
I allowed them to play with gameboys during summer days the same amount of time they would voluntarily read. Both book and gameboy were hardly ever unpacked.

Sorry for my long and boring comment.. but your great question took me back to summers with my kids. God I miss them!
MikeK on May 15 at 10:21 a.m.
I can’t use the same line my father used on me: “Hmm, sorry to hear that. Here’s a dime - go call someone who cares.” Not because it isn’t still valid, but because my kids don’t know what a phone booth is. :-0
Dennis on May 15 at 10:30 a.m.
I’m with Charlie…….. Weedin’ & Mowin’. Works every time.

:-)
Cis on May 15 at 10:54 a.m.
My kids were pretty great about playing outside. Hikes, playing ball and etc… They did have their own chores to do… but
the words did come out of their mouths usually about a week or two before school started… and I would sit down, write out a list of things I need to do… and gave it to them, and tell them to pick out any one they wanted to do… and walk out… they found things to do… and sometimes, they actually helped out.
Especially if they wanted to go to the beach and etc. I would tell them, I have this to do today… so they would help me out, so I could take them. Not always cheerfully, but they helped.
Frum Helen Back on May 15 at 2:08 p.m.
I told my dad I was bored ONCE. He filled a bucket with warm water and Tide and told me to wash all the wordwork in the house.
inlandempiregirl on May 15 at 7:17 p.m.
I am like Charlie… when the nieces come to visit they don’t dare udder those dreaded words… there are way too many weeds to pull at my house.!!!

« Back to Huckleberries Online

You must be logged in to post comments.
Please create a profile or log in here.

About this blog

D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.