Is your Child Bored? Here's How You Can Engage Him Productively

What is the one question that troubles parents all the time - “How do I keep my kids from getting bored?” Children have a really short attention span and that’s why they get tired of everything easily. The easiest thing to do is to put them in front of the TV and hope that keeps them entertained. But that’s not good for the child’s brain development. So, how do you engage a child productively?

Here are a few tips that will help chase your kid’s boredom away:

• Encourage your child to read - storybooks, encyclopaedia, comics, magazines, fairy tales, and the like. Reading not only keeps them engaged, it also improves their language skills and imagination. And, it’s a great way to pick up new and interesting things.

• Apart from reading, you should also encourage creative writing. Kids are naturally imaginative, so engaging them in such activities keeps them occupied for a longer time. As an added bonus, writing can help improve their handwriting as well.

• Painting, drawing and doing craft projects have always been a huge hit with kids. So, let them try making origami cranes, model clay doh, or paint ‘abstract’ art! Whatever they create, do not criticize. Praise their work, ask why they made it, and what inspired them.

• Encourage your child to solve puzzles and play board games, like scrabble and chess at home. These educational board games help develop a child’s memory and critical thinking, while instilling a healthy competitive spirit … all this while keeping him entertained and occupied!

• Cooking with your children is a great way of engaging them. They get to spend time with you, and it engages all their senses. It also gives them a great sense of accomplishment that helped you cook a meal for the family.

• Involve your children in gardening. Teach them about the different varieties of plants and how to take care of them. Make them responsible for a plant in the house-they have to plant it, water it, look after it and make sure it stays healthy. Apart from helping them appreciate nature and its wonders, gardening also nurtures qualities like responsibility and patience in children.

It’s not an easy task to hook a child’s attention and keep him occupied in a meaningful task. It takes a lot of effort to keep boredom at bay. But don’t give up hope. Try different activities and see where their interest lies. Once you see what his area of interest is, you’ll be able to find ways to keep your child engaged!