Posted on 09/18/2006 11:19:41 AM PDT by halfthebattle118
Bored Children
If I have to hear my kids say, “I’m bored” one more time, I think I will put a gun in my mouth. When I was a kid, I could go outside and live in my imagination for hours on end. I would have adventures by my self that ranged from missions to Mars, building cities for chipmunks out of sticks and pine needles, and climbing trees to the top of the world. Children nowadays are bombarded with media overload. Television has almost totally replaced imagination, and Cartoon Network has taken portions of our children away from us. Childhood on almost every level, has changed since when I was a kid. The lack of parent involvement, discipline, and family values are corroding the American family. We are so caught up in our own narcissistic, self-absorbed lives, that we are ignoring the fact that our children are being raised by animated crap designed to eliminated imagination. Constant advertisement marketing to the child population has impressed on them the fact that they “need” the Xbox 360. They “need” a PSP. They “need” all these expensive electronic gadgets to play in a more realistic environment which eliminates the imaginary vision that they once had to utilize. They say that after millions of years of evolution, we no longer need our sense of smell as we once did to hunt for food, etc. I believe we are in the midst of another evolution which is making our imaginations obsolete. When fantasy in movies and special effects make things look and feel absolutely “real”, we seem to no longer need that vision we once needed to see things though our mind’s eye.
Send them to Malaysia, they can make sneakers.
bttt
I've found that bored dogs are a bigger problem. They sit here staring at me and sigh loudly.
Whose kids are these?
Turn off the TV and send them outside. If you have money, buy a farm, get some livestock and plant crops - that'll keep 'em busy and resourceful.
If you don't have money - sell the TV and encourage your kids to be creative.
When my daughters homework is done we make her go outside until dinner is ready. We also just bought her a horse, so that keeps her busy-OUTSIDE!! We also block out all childrens programing on TV from March-November and internet access is school related only.
Next time your child tells you he/she is bored, put a rag and a bucket of soapy water in front of them and have them scrub the kitchen floor. You will either never hear "I'm bored" again or you will have an incredibly clean kitchen floor..both are winners in my opinion!
My oldest boy said he was bored this weekend. Now he knows how to grout tile.
It seems to me that this is not a problem with the child, it's a problem with the parent.
Why? Have them wash windows, scrub the bathtub or mop the kitchen floor. Don't allow them to opt out of that even once when they have already said, "I'm bored." You will be surprised at how quickly they learn that some things shouldn't be communicated.
Ultimately, you'll enjoy a more restful parenting and better relations with your children. It may take a while, but hang in there and be firm. You're the grownup (I hope)!
bingo ;)
Freerider wannabe ping.
That's the answer. They would just send them back, and not one sneaker would be made...
Could also have them dress in bright pink and sing "Like a Rhinestone Cowboy" in the local mall.
If that doesn't fix their boredom post haste, nothing will.
That was always my parents' solution - when we lived on a farm, bored children got to clean the barn or the chicken coop. When they bought a restaurant and moved in town, bored children got to clean the basement. Or worse, their rooms! :-)
Grow a pair and quit letting your kids run your life and you've won half the battle.
That would be giving in to them -- it would be exciting. Better to cart the TV and video games off to the local dump, and then wear serious hearing protection (like shooting muffs) when you're home with the kids.
Take them outside and play a game with them. If you keep buying the xboxes etc its your own fault. I limit tv . If my 6 yr old is bored I tell her to read or do a chore. She loves to garden and pull weeds. Maybe you need to take time to do things with your children. They learn by example.
They're not bored, they're boring. Tell them to go play outside and leave you the hell alone.
I need to try that...maybe my 4 year old boy will join me!
Post pictures!
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