sprigeteer

iTrader: (9)

'Let Children Get Bored' - couldn't agree more. Young kids these day only seem to be happy when they are being entertained, either by a parent, a computer, a tablet etc etc. We seem terrified of letting children get bored. Are we raising a generation who are more 'what can you do for me?' rather than 'what can I do for myself/others?' I see this in my own family - children's ability to control their impulses (I want it now, I'm bored) is miniscule. Really gets me down. It obviously is not the case everwhere, but this is a trend I suspect.

I see the end results in the workplace all the time. The chances of getting a good 18+ worker who puts their head down, gets in on time, work their socks off and goes home tired is increasingly rare. Which is all good news for the hard workers out there as they are becoming a rare commodity. I'm sure it was the same years ago . . . or was it?

DYK

Could have a point here,i know a parent whose lad hasn't had a job or been to college since leaving school,he is now 20 yrs of age.Actually he did have a job for around six months working on the dustbins but gave it up,just wants to spend his days going fishing.On the otherside of the coin,i know a couple young lads who are learning a trade and going to college etc,one of them is the brother of the lad i were writing about.Another lad i know is training as a mechanic,and is in work everyday when not at college and has passed his driving test.He now got his own car even though its costing him £1700.00 in insurance for a Y reg fiesta,so they are out there.
I think maybe sometimes we're just bringing up a generation of i must have the latest of everything,whether it be iphone,ipad,clothing,console games etc.
Wasn't a problem when i were a kid because these things didn't exist,a few action man figures to play with in the garden kept me entertained for hours.

Oldun

It's all down to parenting and having time for your kids.
Just look at what happens at Christmas, hundreds of pounds spent on offspring to give them the latest fad in electronic gadgetry to stop them being bored that will be obsolete in time for next Christmas.
I never gave in to my boys' want-it-now demands. Quite simply, I was self-employed, bringing up 4 boys and didn't have the money for them to get the gadgets. As they became teenagers the demand got greater, designer clothes, shoes, phones etc. I hate this brand culture.
The result was that my lads each got part-time jobs in their last years of school/college because if they wanted the best they had to earn the money themselves.
What I did do was take them out nearly every Sunday to show them our great country and let them see our heritage. Load the 4 x 4 up and off we would go for a great day out.
They all have full-time jobs, even my youngest (18), they work hard, play hard and enjoy life to the full. One lad has a £3000 MTB, the youngest has a £2000 MTB all paid for by hard graft.
I am proud of my sons.

All I did was just mirror what my parents did for me.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Hang on, "Get bored"??

Wasn't that the exact reason that psychologists, social workers etc gave for the explosion of youth crime in the 60's and 70's???

nyscooby

iTrader: (12)

Quote- It's all down to parenting and having time for your kids.

My kids are lovely, polite and respectful of their friends, family and surroundings...

Its all about good parenting..... if you don't have time for your kids, don't have kids......


What a stupid thing to say, "let kids get bored" they didn't ask to be born!

sprigeteer

iTrader: (9)

What a stupid thing to say, "let kids get bored" they didn't ask to be born![/QUOTE]

Are you suggesting that parents should never let an element of boredom creep into their lives? I agree, it's obviously stupid if taken to extremes. Some parents hover over their kids constantly, and as a result, they can't invent stuff to do when they need to. Micro-managing children so that they don't have the chance to tackle the feeling of boredom is not good and stultifies imagination and creativity. It's about not giving in at the first sign of them saying 'I'm bored'. But I do think we are under so much pressure to fill our kids' time and get them all the quick fix gadgets. Times are expensive too. Some parents woud rather buy their way quickly out of a bit of boredom rather than let the kids invent (with the help of Mum or Dad - you do need to make time).

Jamz3k

In your opinion.

I don't know any parents that will ever admit that their offsprings are the spawns of satan but I know a good few kids that the abort button would have been a good move on.

nyscooby

iTrader: (12)

my kids are as suggested.

just go buy your kids an Xbox and dial for a pizza.... maybe you can share you **** and beer with them.

Ellie*

Moderation, that's all it needs. Everything in moderation.

The are pro's and con's to everything.

Leaving a child with excessive boredom is actually psychologically/emotionally damaging. Kids need a certain degree of stimulation and nurturing.
However, mollycoddling and pandering to every whim makes for selfish, obnoxious, demanding brats that won't do **** for themselves.

mgcvk

I don't like DVD screens in back of cars. Let them get bored and look out of the windows and think on journeys. My two actually talk to each other in the back seat...the occasional fight but I find that quite entertaining!

Matteeboy

I would have agreed but our DVD player pretty much made a 11 hour drive (kids aged 1 and 3 at the time) back from Oban possible in our camper.

Leslie

When I was growing up we were all expected to make our own entertainment as long as we behaved ourselves and did not cause any grief to anyone else.

None of us found that to be a problem.

Les

alphaj12

I can't ever remember being bored in my entire forty years