There’s nothing worse than being faced with a bored child or teen who’s got nothing of interest to do and can’t motivate themselves.
Or perhaps you’re fed up with seeing your child vegging out in front of the TV or playing endless rounds of video games, as they can’t think of anything else do to.
If you’re faced with a bored looking child or teen, here are some practical ideas of ways to avoid boredom and get them doing something more interesting and varied.
Help Your Child Develop an Interest
One key way of helping to avoid boredom is to help your child develop an interest in something, ideally from an early age. It could be a hobby that involves collecting something, or perhaps an interest in sport, nature, painting, riding or photography.
The main thing is to find something that piques their interest, however unique it might need to be.
Join a Club
Clubs can be a great way of avoiding being bored at home and it takes the stress and strain away from you, as you send your child off knowing that everything is organised and taken care of!
These days there are all sorts of clubs to choose from, from ballet and gymnastics, to everything imaginable on the sports/fitness side, to theatre, music and riding.
Plus, of course, there are good old favourites like Brownies, Guides, Cubs and Scouts.
Depending on the activity involved, children can join clubs at all ages, so try some out whilst your child is young (and, as an added bonus, the fees may be lower when they’re younger!).
If the first club you try doesn’t work out, or they don’t like the activity involved, don’t despair. Plod on and try another. The perfect solution may be just around the corner!
Have a Weekly Family Day
When you’re all busy, it’s sometimes hard to find time to do things together, but if you can set aside one day a week – perhaps a Saturday or Sunday – it’s great to have a regular family day.
For example, you could do something at home together, like have a nice meal and watch a DVD, or go out for a cycle ride together or visit a family attraction nearby.
This can help avoid boredom on a weekend, as your kids will know they’ve got something definite coming up to look forward to, plus it helps you bond as a family.
Be Creative
Many kids love doing creative things, so if boredom strikes, why not rustle up some creative tasks for them to do? You can make up a craft kit in advance, or buy ready to make kits, and kids love sticking, painting and creating.
Try a Holiday Scheme
The school holidays are a notorious time for boredom to set in, but have you considered enrolling your child on a holiday scheme?
There are all sorts of events taking place each year, both in the long summer holidays, as well as half term breaks and at Easter, and they’re aimed at different ages.
Some holiday schemes take place for a whole week at a time, others for the odd day or several days a week for several weeks.
There are arts and crafts events, sporting events, nature and environment schemes and they’re geared up towards children, with trained staff running them.
Look out for details in your local paper, on the Internet or through word of mouth. Holiday schemes can be great fun, help develop interests further and be a good way of socialising with other children of a similar age.
Have Boredom Supplies Ready at Hand
And finally, be prepared for any sudden boredom moments by having some boredom-battling supplies at hand. For younger children, perhaps it could be some toys they’re only play with on special occasions, a new colouring book or crayons.
For older kids, it could be their favourite DVD or something they’ve been wanting to see for ages or a video game they’ve been longing to play.
Some kids love puzzles and you can buy great inexpensive puzzle books that’s ideal for such moments.
Keeping kids entertained can seem like hard work sometimes, but with a bit of preparation and forward thinking, boredom can be banished successfully.