Blog Post

"I'm bored"

May 05, 2020

Tips for parents when your child is bored


Being a parent can be a challenging role at the best of times let alone the current situation we find ourselves in due to Covid-19.


What can you do with children when it feels like there is nothing to do even with the abundance of time and no routine?


Before we mention any tips, we want you to know that it’s ok if you haven’t ‘home-schooled’; if you have not been productive and done the things you could have done or wanted to with or without the kids; if you have just simply felt de-motivated and binged on soaps and films or if you have allowed the children to sleep later than usual everyday since Covid-19 started.


What you are experiencing are normal reactions to a situation that has affected everyone globally and changed our way of being in so many ways. There may be confusion, grief, anxiety and exhaustion to name but a few of the responses to the current chaos. It may not be easy to look at the blessings but if you look around you, you may find many.


Time on our hands may be one of the biggest blessings we have, and we can perhaps fill it with the things we wouldn’t get a chance to do otherwise with the children.


Here are a few tips giving you quality time and positive engagement with the kids:


1. Get Baking- Believe it or not kids love getting hands on and seeing an end product that they have helped make! Start off with the simple stuff such as Chocolate cornflake cakes: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/cooking-kids-chocolate-cornflake-cakes-0 or let them create their own pizza (you can buy ready-made pizza bases/flour): https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/toddler-recipe-easy-homemade-pizza-veggie-faces


2. Get Active- Exercise can sound like a chore but it doesn’t have to be. Make it a fun family thing to do and if you’re competitive or your children are, have a prize for the end of the week. There are so many free online videos to watch and follow such as Joe Wicks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAxW1XT0iEJo0TYlRfn6rYQ. If you want to go freestyle just blast some music on and dance away, be silly.


3. Get Arty- Lots and lots of things to do with pens, paper, paint etc. You can help children to make origami models to painting pictures or pebbles. Get messy and paint their hands and feet for some printing!


4. Get Gardening- plant some seeds together and get them to be responsible for looking after their plant. Watch their excitement as the seed grows into a plant. There are some good resources online such as CBeebies https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/grownups/7-tips-for-gardening-with-children


5. Get Singing- There is a saying kids should be seen and not heard but I think kids should well and truly be heard and seen! Have singing/Naat contests and create your own X-factor at home! Or mix it up, get them to do something they want to show you such as a dance routine, magic tricks or telling jokes etc. Give them a week to practice something for the show (you set the date and time convenient for your family).


6. Go to the movies- Schedule a specific day and time for a family movie complete with crisps, drinks and popcorn. Turn the lights dim/off for a real cinematic feel.


7. Play games- Playing games can be fun such as eye-spy, mafia or the classic board games such as monopoly or chess. Why not get involved in playing with your kids when they are playing games on their console? Join in and take an interest in what it is they particularly like about the games they play.


You could do one activity each day or mix and match to suit your needs on a daily basis.


Give it a go and don’t forget- HAVE FUN!

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