How often do you hear your kids say the phrase, "I'm bored"? There's a good chance that it's pretty often. Do you often find that your response is something along the line of "go and do something fun then!"? Well, here's another question. How often do you find yourself feeling bored? How often do you find yourself with a bit of free time and it just feels like you're sitting around letting it all go to waste?
The truth is that we all get bored from time to time. Both kids and parents have those moments where they can't think of what they want to do, but they know that sitting around is a waste of their time. Well, here's one piece of information that everyone on earth could do with learning: you have no excuse for being bored. It's the 21st Century! There are more things to do than ever before! There might have been a time when you were literally left with nothing to do, but those days are long gone! If you find yourself feeling bored and frustrated then here's a list of things that you can do to make sure that you've always got something fun and interesting to do as a family.
Create a dedicated fun space
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One of the things that a lot of people struggle with, especially families, is having a space where they can actually spend their leisure time and have fun. After all, keeping a home clean and tidy is hard enough without having to think about clearing away huge piles of toys, lego, video games, and whatever else ends up all over the place after a fun day at home. That's why it's often so great to have a room dedicated to having fun. For some people, that might be a spare room that they never really use for anything other than storing away boxes, and for others, it might simply be their living room. Being able to set up a room with a TV, a bean bag chair, a table for crafts, and a space for kids, and adults, to play in can be fantastic. Then, if you don't have the energy to tidy things away, then you can leave it all in the playroom without sacrificing the comfort of the rest of your home.
Get out into the world
If you and your family are sitting around at the house, feeling bored, then get out of the house already! There's a whole amazing world out there, and it's just waiting for you to get out there and discover it. A lot of people have this misguided assumption that you need money to be able to get out into the world and do stuff. And sure, theme parks, swimming pools, museums, and movie theaters all cost money, but those aren't the only things that you can do. Why not just head out into the woods and get lost together. There's something wonderfully enjoyable about getting to experience the wilderness as a family, and you're almost certain to come across some fascinating wildlife.
Try new things
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It's far too common to end up getting stuck doing the same old things, again and again, every day. Sure, you've all got school and work to do, but that doesn't mean that you have to do the same during your free time! There are always new things to discover. Whether it's a new place that you've never been to before or a new activity that you've never tried. Whatever it is, there's nothing wrong with getting out there and attempting something new. Sure, you might not be great at whatever you try right away, but it's always better to try new things that to stick to the same old stuff day after day no matter what. And the things you try don't even need to be a challenge. Even something as simple as trying new meals out at dinner time can be a great way to spice up an average day for you and your family.
Be creative
There are few things that can get rid of boredom and pass the time faster than creating something. It doesn't matter what it is either. It could be drawing, painting, writing, singing, dancing, sculpting, or anything else that your mind can come up with. Not only that but anyone can do it. You don't have to be a master to be able to try your hand at something creative, and it's something the whole family can get involved in. You can all crowd around the table and paint pictures together; you can sing songs and play instruments together. No matter what it is, there's almost certainly a way to make it into a creative activity that the entire family can get involved in at once.
Do something unexpected
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Is there anything that you're not comfortable doing? Anything that you've always wanted to try but have been scared to? Well, why not take control of those feelings and do them! Think about the kinds of things that you've always wanted to try. There's a good chance that they will actually end up being a lot less scary than you might have thought. Sure, things like skydiving and bungee jumping aren't exactly what you would call "family activities, " but they certainly offer a chance for you to try something exciting and your kids will almost certainly love to see you jump out of a plane! And sure, you're probably going to end up feeling pretty scared. But hey, being scared is at least more interesting than being bored. After all, taking risks is one of the ways that we grow as people. Being able to show your kids that fear doesn't need to hold them back is one of the very best ways to make sure that you're helping them to grow into responsible, well-rounded adults.
Find the fun
There are always going to be things that you have to do on a day to day basis that aren't exactly what most people would call fun. However, the doesn't mean that there isn't at least some way that you can create some fun out of those activities. Sure, no one really likes having to do chores. But why not make a game out of it? Why not have your kids race to see who can clean their room the fastest? Little touches like that can turn even the most boring job in the world into something a lot more fun and exciting. The other thing that you can do is get the kids involved in the kinds of things that they might not normally do. WHy not set the kitchen up as a space where the whole family can get involved with cooking the meals? That way, not only will your kids feel a great sense of responsibility but they'll have a much closer connection to the food that they're eating at meal times.
Forget structure
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One mistake that parents make all the time is that they try to impose way too much structure on the things that their kids are doing. The issue here is that if you're trying to force fun into too rigid a frame, it's just not going to be fun anymore. So instead, try to embrace a little bit more spontaneity. If your kids want to run around in nature, then that's great! But if they'd rather spend their time indoors doing some crafting then there's no reason why you shouldn't be happy changing directions and doing that instead. If you focus too much on making sure that you're meeting schedules and following a plan, then you're just going to end up getting stressed for no good reason.
Embrace the simple things
Of course, it's foolish to think that the only things that you can do to avoid being bored are the big exciting things. In reality, there's nothing wrong with embracing the simple things as well. Something like a family movie night under a blanket with a big bowl of popcorn can be one of the very best ways to spend an evening with your family. The same goes for a day where you and the kids sit around playing games and building things out of Lego. Just because you're not on some kind of grand adventure doesn't mean that you're not able to have a lot of fun together.
One of the main reasons that a lot of people end up feeling bored is that they want to do something, but they aren't actually willing in to put in the effort required. The truth is that sometimes, it does take a little bit of effort to get up and do something fun. But you're almost always going to end up feeling far better for it in the long run. It might sound a little bit harsh, but the reality is that the old saying is still very true: you're not bored, you're boring.
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