Q: This summer has been a nightmare. My seven year old son has been in a horrible mood since school let out. He mopes and complains about having nothing to do. No matter what I suggest he says it’s boring. Can you help me?
A: Many parents suggest different activities in an effort to keep their kids entertained. When everything fails, parents get frustrated and resort to threats like cancelling a weekend trip to the beach or a play-date with a friend. Finding something your child wants to do can be time consuming and exhausting. Being bored is an inevitable part of life. You learn to sit with it or you do something about it. Threatening to cancel privileges will not change your child’s mood for the better. Threats will likely make him more confrontational and irritable. You are not your son’s entertainment director. Children need to learn to amuse themselves which fosters independence, imagination, and creativity. When I was young I tried to manipulate my parents into constantly entertaining me by pouting and whining. My mother would tell me I was free to pout as much as I wanted as long as I pouted in my own room. My manipulation tactics didn’t work, since it landed me in my room. Spending time in my room motivated me to use my imagination and become my own independent social director.
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