How to Entertain a Kid With a Bored Ass
They have a few years before they embark on a perennial childhood tradition of whining about how bored they are despite the piles of toys they have, stacks of books they can read, and the beautiful weather outside. But even babies can be bored in their own way. This is because they are curious little researchers who rely on your research assistance.
One moment of early fatherhood will forever be remembered by me. My son was only a couple of months old and had an overall hectic day. He didn’t seem to want to be held back or suppressed; he didn’t want to lie on his back or stomach. Finally I put him in a child seat facing our sliding glass door from where he could watch the rain, and like that, he was happy. The dude was bored and wanted to see something different.
This general fussiness can be a sign that they are bored, as can crying or grabbing movements indicating that they want to be moved to try something new. Researcher and psychology professor Dr.Celeste Kidd tells her father that babies are learning machines:
Babies are constantly exploring and looking for new experiences to gather more data about their world. Thus, their boredom is not the result of laziness, but the result of effective discovery. “This means that if they come across something that everyone already knows about, they lose interest in it and want to find something else,” explains Kidd. Problems arise when they cannot find something else.
Before they can crawl and explore on their own terms, they need a little help in gaining access to new and interesting things. That being said, they are also easily overwhelmed, especially if they encounter objects for which they have no context – instead, according to Kidd , they prefer “partially encoded” elements that are somewhat familiar. These can include things like a wooden spoon, pots and pans, stacking glasses, or plastic bowls.
If you need some new tricks to keep your child entertained, this video from parenting and lifestyle vlogger Emily Norris has some great tips. Her ideas include inflating bubbles for them to watch and touch, creating sensory bottles, and setting up what she calls “treasure baskets” in which you fill the basket with a variety of safe household items of different shapes and textures, such as a sponge. , a clean feather duster, and a few assorted lids.
Here are some more ideas from parents on our Offspring Facebook community in case your little one gets bored next time:
- Create a Montessori Shelf. “Lay out four to six objects so that the child can access the objects themselves … Once she learned to crawl, she had a basket of plastic texture balls, four or five wooden blocks, a stuffy or baby doll with a blanket, and a wooden car. … ” (Michael)
- The pipe cleaner trick . “An old spice container with holes and pipe cleaners.” (Erica) Another popular variation of this method is pipe cleaners pushed through the holes in a colander.
- Destroy multiple logs . “My son loved to rip up magazines before he could walk; he liked the bright colors along with the tactile sensations. ” (Christine)
- Redesigned water bottles . “I let the girls crunch with empty water bottles. A cheap sound generator if you can handle it. (Daniel)
- Songs with finger / body movements . Group member Carrie recommends this YouTube channel, created by two children’s librarians who share songs and rhymes: “I lovethis song and now my 4 year old loves it. But with babies it is much easier. “
When it comes to babies, fancy toys are good, but they are more likely to find happiness by using their senses through everyday objects of different colors and textures, as well as different interesting sounds. And when in doubt, a change of scenery – whether it’s walking around the neighborhood or just moving to a different room in the house – is often enough to offer something new to watch, listen to, touch, and explore.