He is In-charge of his own fun

Back in the Philippines when i was young, i never had a doll or anything like Playstations (Sega that time i think).  The only play that i know is to run around outside with numbers of my friends or neighbors,  we were playing hide and seek or skipping rope.  I played with anything i can found -- a can, sticks, some flowers or leaves, stones or mud.  For me it is the best play,  I remembered during that time i do not want to come home to eat lunch because it will stop my very engaging play.  This new generation though, it is different but of course we cannot hold on to the past because things change.

therefore, to keep the balance with my children I encouraged them to play outside with anything.  Of course i provided them with some tools such as big colored chalks.  They had drawn on the pavements, bring some cars or rocks and then let their imagination rolls.

Whilst my children are in this unshackled play, they are actually developing and building an important skills that can help them to be successful when they grow up.  I looked up in the internet of what they can achieve with this way of playing and here are the skills that can be developed.

• an ability to self regulate

• better control of their emotions and behavior

• exert some self control and discipline.

So when he say's "i am actually bored mum!" what can i do? i always encourage him to go outside.  Which remind me with the book i was reading with him awhile ago about 7 habit of happy children and one lesson that he learned is -- "He is in-charge of his own fun" -- The story goes like this...

Was about boredom, and the story about how Sammy the Squirrel finds a way to fight being bored. He goes all over town looking for a friend to help him beat his boredom, but each one is already engaged in something. When he gets to the last friend, she's sick in bed. Her Gram tells Sammy that he's in charge of making his own fun. Sammy sees a broken radio and asks if he can take it home. At home he fixes the radio up and brings it back to his friend so she can listen to it while she's sick. She's so happy with the gift, and Sammy feels great from having done something for someone else.

It's great book and a huge help for me.

My son always use this "I'm bored!, what can i do!?" .... 

so now i say ... What are you going to do about it? 

Go outside, use your imagination.  I know you can find something that will interests you then a little reminder about the book if he remembered the story that he is in-charge of his own fun!

AND then, surely enough...

his problem solve.