How to Prevent Your Preschooler from Saying, “I’m Bored…”

Lately you’ve been hearing “Im bored” playing over and over like a broken record. You look around at your house full of toys and wonder how anyone could possibly be bored, and start to wonder why you even bought all this stuff in the first place. In fact…Have they ever even played with that expensive toy you got them last Christmas?

Chances are, they just need a little encouragement. We’re going to tell you how to prevent your preschooler from saying, “Im bored” and start getting the most out of all those things laying around the house.

AT HOME

Teach Self Play Skills

In order to prevent your preschooler from saying they’re bored, they will first need to know how to keep themselves entertained. When your preschooler understands entertainment may not always be provided for them, you’ll be surprised what they can come up with to keep busy.

Here’s some tips four encouraging your preschooler to develop their self play skills:

1. Turn Off Electronics

Tv can be a great form of entertainment, but preschooler’s need to learn to use their imaginations, and tv doesn’t leave much room for that. Turn the tv off and let your preschooler have some time to explore their creative side.

2. Set Expectations

Start by telling your preschooler you’d like them to play by themselves for a little while, while you do something for yourself. Maybe for 15 minutes a day you’d like to catch up on that book that’s been collecting dust…Teach your preschooler that this is your time, and they need to find something to do for a little while.

3. Give a Few Ideas

If your preschooler is having a hard time coming up with something to do, suggest a few ideas. Some things your preschooler can do independently are:

4. Don’t Get Involved

Try to stay out of this alone activity time as much as possible. Watch from a distance, or check in occasionally, but try to resist the urge to get on the floor and build block towers for just a little while.

5. Praise

After you’ve gotten a few chapters read in that book, and your preschooler has created and destroyed several block towers, let them know what a great job they did playing by themselves! Doing this every day will build your preschooler’s confidence to play alone.

Set Aside Time for Play Together

Sometimes when a child says they’re bored, it can really mean they could use some playtime with their favorite person…You. Being able to entertain themselves is important, but nothing beats good old fashioned quality time.

Try to set aside some time every day to simply play with your preschooler. Not only does playing with your preschooler keep them from being bored, it helps form your preschooler’s social skills and strengthen your already unbreakable bond.

For some ideas on activities for your preschooler check out our article 22 BOREDOM BUSTERS FOR YOUR PRESCHOOLER, for things you can do with your preschooler, and things they can do alone.

IN SCHOOL

Teach a Positive School Attitude

If your preschooler is bored in class, they may just need to be taught how great school is! No matter if your preschooler is in a physical school, being homeschooled, or even doing online school, it’s important that they develop a love of learning.

You can help your child develop a love for learning by:

• Surrounding them with books, and reading them often
• Encouraging open ended play
• Having conversations about activities
• Letting them explore and learn about their interests
• Praising them for their effort

Give More of a Challenge

Often when children are bored in school, it’s because they’re not being challenged enough, or they’re just not interested in what’s being taught. It’s important to make sure that your preschooler is in a class that is engaging to them. This could be as simple as making some changes to your preschooler’s current class, or your preschooler may benefit from a different school altogether.

Homeschool

If your preschooler is bored during homeschool, you may need to change up their curriculum. Check out our article BEST HOMESCHOOL PRESCHOOL CURRICULUM for a variety of great curriculum ideas.

Physical School

If your preschooler is attending preschool outside of your home, talk to their teacher about what they may be able to do to provide your child with more of a challenge. Their teacher can help you decide if your preschooler may benefit from advancing a grade.

Online School

Not all online schools are created equal. If your preschooler is bored during their online classes, chances are you haven’t found one with an engaging teacher. Sit in on your preschooler’s class and see how it’s going. If you’re bored, chances are your preschooler is too.

Online preschool teachers understand the importance of keeping your child engaged, and a great online teacher will go out of their way to keep your preschooler’s attention. If you don’t hear at least one song, or see a few silly faces during class, your preschooler may need a change.