How to deal with children's boredom?

How often can one hear familiar words from children: “I am bored! What should I do? ” Such complaints cause conflicting emotions between mom and dad: some adults are upset, others are annoyed and immediately find any activity for the child, if only not to interfere. Why are children bored? Do I need to come up with activities for children or is it better to teach yourself to entertain yourself?

Modern children are accustomed to having fun using a TV, video games and computer. Many find it difficult to wait in line at the grocery store or sit quietly for a minute while adults are talking to each other. They quickly get bored of everything, and they do not hesitate to announce it publicly: "I'm tired of everything!" The main causes of today's child’s boredom are widely known: electronic gadgets with which they have not parted since infancy, and the inability of children to interact with each other. And what other reasons for children's boredom?

Where does boredom come from?

Let's try to understand what is actually hidden behind the complaints of your baby that he absolutely does not want to do anything and absolutely nothing to do.

• Overload of impressions. Kindergarten, photo circle ... The kid receives too much information and impressions during the day. The psyche will need a certain amount of time to process what has been seen, heard, memorized and passed.
• Inability to play. Although from the outside it looks like boredom, but in reality the child is simply not able to occupy himself independently. And most often this happens due to the fact that he met with a TV and gadgets earlier than with cubes and pyramids. Spending time at the computer, children do not use their own imagination in any way, do not show initiative, do not agree with peers about the rules of the game.
• Need for attention. Sometimes, informing his mother about boredom, the baby means that he feels lonely, unhappy and in need of her attention. After all, no, even the most expensive trinkets, will not replace your hugs and gentle touches.
• Waiting for an event. The cause of boredom can be a child's usual expectation of an event: for example, a trip to her grandmother or a trip to the park. A small child cannot yet clearly track the time, therefore, he often lacks patience.
• Features of the child. Children with hyperactivity will get bored more quickly if they are offered tasks that require concentration. An anxious and modest child who refuses games and competitions can get bored looking at his peers who are having fun.

We also read:

The effect of modern gadgets on children (pros and cons)

10 signs of children's addiction to computer games and the Internet: harm from a computer

What should parents of a bored child do?

1. First, you need to leave your business and pay attention to the child for at least ten minutes. Sometimes it’s enough to hug him, chat for a bit, play noisy games, squeeze each other - and boredom no matter how.After emotional discharge, the baby usually has new ideas, and you can approve and support them. If boredom does not go away, explain that you need to be able to enjoy your free time, you can just do nothing and relax a bit. Then he will accumulate strength for new achievements.
2. Resist the temptation to provide your baby with a variety of activities. It is very important that he gain invaluable experience in making his own decisions, learn to manage his free time himself. Therefore, when he once again declares: “I am bored” - invite him to come up with an activity for himself.
3. If your child often complains about boredom, help him make a list of activities that he can perform when everything around him becomes uninteresting. Include homework such as drawing and playing with the designer, as well as outdoor activities: cycling, drawing with crayons on asphalt. When he once again utters the word “boredom,” remind him to take a look at this list.
4. Explain to your child that it is impolite to say, “You are very bored at home”. Remind him that by expressing his disinterest, he can hurt other people's feelings.
5. Do not fight boredom with the TV, computer games and gadgets. Experts say that children who constantly play electronic applications and video games do not know what to do with themselves. Also, constant sitting at the computer limits the imagination and creativity of the baby and prevents him from using the ingenuity inherent in childhood.
6. If a child can read, he will never have problems with doing nothing. There is a whole world in books that will plunge him into a whirlwind of incredible adventures. When is it really bored here? Read together, focusing on the fact that he needs to know for himself what will happen to his beloved heroes further. Start by picking simple and engaging stories to interest.
7. Combine the distraction from boredom and creative activity, providing the child with not ready-made games, but just material for their manufacture. For example, try making a city layout on a piece of cardboard using old magazines, small boxes, glue, scissors, colored pencils, and children's imagination.
8. Be sure to teach children to play with the toys that they have. Perhaps he does not even know why this whole bunch of cars, dolls, designers, puzzles and balls are needed. Pay attention to the matching toys to the age of the child. If he had previously played with interest in something, but now he is bored - probably he has already grown from these games. If he does not understand what to do, and is also not at all interested in a new toy - probably it is still great for him.
9. Some preschoolers are not interested in toys. They are more attracted to household chores that adults do. Allow your child to do laundry, cleaning or cooking. Watching homework will not only give him great material for independent games, but also make it easy to get rid of boredom.
10. If children like board games, introduce an interesting and useful tradition in the house: play chess. At the same time, it is not necessary to spend several hours a day behind black and white fields. Start the batch, place the board on the coffee table, and put a pencil and a piece of paper next to it. As soon as the child gets bored, let him come up and think about the chess game.

If you tried all the ways, and the child continues to pester you with a complaint of boredom, explain: “I understand you very well, because I also miss you sometimes.” Listen to him, hug and caress, but do not seek to dispel his spleen. Be sure that after a while the little dreamer will surely find a suitable occupation for himself.