All day long yesterday, Damien and Xander were hungry for attention. I don't know if it is because Friday was a no-school day for Damien and he already had one day off from school or what, but the two boys were just constantly bugging my husband and me, begging us to play.
Now, I don't know about your children, but sometimes ours seem to think that my husband and I were put on earth just to entertain them. They think that our sole reason for being is to take care of their boredom. We don't agree. Sure, we play games with them and read to them and do other things with them at times (quite often, really); however, we are not at their beck and call, ready to step in and amuse at their whim.
Yesterday, though, was one of those days where the boys were just driving us completely nuts with their constant cries of, "I have nothing to do!" and "I'm bored!" and "Are you ready to play with us yet?" Many parents would have become frustrated with this and sent the kids to their bedroom--but, that's not what we did. We invited more kids over!
Sounds crazy, right? Maybe. But it is actually a great solution to the problem. Why? Well, by asking the boys' close friends over (who happen to be the two sons of a couple my husband and I are close friends with), it gives the kids more to do. It keeps our boys from pestering us about playing, while at the same time keeping them entertained. It cures the boredom and my husband and I no longer have to worry about keeping the kids amused.
And, this solution has another benefit as well. When we invite our friends' kids over for the night, quite often they reciprocate and invite our boys over for a night sometime within a week or two--and that gives us an entire night without kids! The first time that happened, my husband and I were so unaccustomed to the quiet that we didn't know what to do with ourselves (we quickly figured something out, though...).
So, the bottom line is this--if the kids are driving you crazy, consider inviting more kids over. It sounds totally nuts, but trust me--it works!
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3 comments:
Crazy as it sounds, you are totally right. Great stuff, although the house does get destroyed twice as fast that way. I found it is best to let the kids know as soon as they come over that all messes are picked up before they go, keeps them thinking less messy from the moment playing starts.
Sometimes they just need to see a new face or two. Especially, when we get all cooped up in the winter.
Good suggestion.
Sometimes when our daughters say they are bored, we'll start mentioning chores which need to be done. They quickly leave.
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