School is ending across the country, and with it, wails of
distress from parents as they scramble for ways to fill their children’s time
during the hot, sticky days of summer. I’ve heard numerous parents express
dismay at the end of school, and have felt in the minority that I don’t feel as
miserable as they do about having my children around all the time.
For families with both parents working, or for single parent
households, I can well understand the need to find adequate childcare or camps
in the summer. But for families that have one parent at home, summer is a
wonderful opportunity for you and your children—and it doesn’t have to mean you
are responsible for entertaining them day in and day out.
Fighting chants of “I’m bored,” or “I don’t know what to
do,” or “I have nothing to do,” can be downright exhausting if you hear those
or similar phrases as soon as your little darlings wake in the morning. But do
not despair! I have a solution that, if followed to the letter, will ensure a summer
filled with innovation and inspiration, all with just a little bit of work on
your part.
First, draw up a list of things your child or children can
do on their own. This can be as simple as play with a certain toy or read a
book. Tailor it to the age of your child. Write down as many things as you can
think of that require a minimum (read barely any) assistance from you. Type it
up and label it “Things to Do When You’re Bored” or something equally catchy.
Note: Your summer will go smoother if you limit electronic
screen time (TV and video/DVD watching, computer, and hand-held electronic
games, etc.). Studies have shown—and, if you have ever interrupted a child
involved in one of those activities—that screen time is highly addictive.
Better to encourage your children in other pursuits in their leisure time. This
is not a popular view, I know, but I think you’ll find it’s worth the hassle to
get your kids disconnected for most of the summer.
Second, write down a list of extra chores not included in
the daily or weekly list for your children. Cut into slips of paper with one
chore on each slip, fold and place into a jar or other container and label
“Chore Jar.”
Third, on the first day of summer vacation, sit down your
kids after breakfast and hand them the “Things to Do When You’re Bored” list.
Tell them that this is what they can do when they’re feeling bored or have
nothing to do. Inform them that if anyone utters the words “I’m bored,” or “I
have nothing to do,” or any variation thereof, that child picks a chore to do
from the Chore Jar. That chore must be completed immediately to the parent’s
satisfaction. Failure to do so will result in being confined to his or her room
for the rest of the day and to bed after supper. This is called “making them an
offer they can’t refuse.”
Fourth, follow through. When I introduced this last summer
to my two older girls, they immediately said they were bored to see what kind
of chores were in the Chore Jar. After completing a particular onerous task, I
didn’t hear “I’m bored,” the entire summer.
For those of you who need ideas, my booklet
Boredom Busters has dozens of ideas for
children, as well as some chore ideas for the Chore Jar.
Boredom Busters is available on
Kindle and
Smashwords (for the
Nook, iPad, and other e-reader devices, as well as in a PDF) for only 99 cents.
Leave a comment under this post for a chance to win a copy of the
Boredom Busters.
Sarah Hamaker is a freelance writer and editor, and author
of
Hired@Home, a guide to unlocking
women’s work-from-home potential now available on Kindle. Her stories have
appeared in previous
Chicken Soup for the
Soul books. Sarah lives in
Virginia
with her husband and four children. Visit her online at
www.sarahhamaker.com, where she blogs
about working from home.
