Boredom buster jars
A little idea to help us mama’s out when the going gets fussy, or bored as it starts with my almost 3 year old… there are several mornings a week when Judo can’t seem to find something to do by himself and turns to being fussy and whiny as a result. One morning last week as Andrew and I were trying to have a little time to chat and read before he left for work Jude was doing just that, and it took all my patience to encourage him to find something to do or else go where whiny boys get to go in our house (sitting in their rooms for a time out!:). I prayed that God would give me creativity and wisdom in dealing with this (often a prayer of mine) and he did just that- this idea came into my head and now we have an alternative to the times when Jude just simply can’t figure out on his own what he wants to do- the boredom buster jar. Cutely decorated for mama, filled with fun and interesting things to do for Judo. Some slips have a bonus treat of chocolate milk or a sticker just for fun, all of them are things Jude would like to do but are different in some way than our normal play. This jar won’t come out every day, so that Jude can still find things to do on his own, but as needed to turn around those challenging days that come here and there.
We are looking forward to a long weekend with Andrew around- doing fun things here locally, picking 16 pounds of (pesticide free!) tomatoes to make sauce for winter months (I can make 10 pints for about $15- pretty good I’d say!), and eating out as a family (a rare treat for us). Tonight I have a bunch of 6th and 7th grade girls coming over from our youth group and I’m stoked to spend time with them and get ready for a fun year with them ahead.
But first some train driving with my Judo…
Love your ideas ~ and especially love the way you hem each day in with prayer!!
Mumsy
Comment by Mumsy — September 3, 2009 @ 4:52 pm
Wow I love the jar idea. What kinds of things are there for him to do? This would be great for older kids who can read too. Love your ideas.
Comment by Jenney — September 4, 2009 @ 7:51 am
My ideas were pretty simple- a couple weeks ago I put away a bunch of our toys in a closet so we could enjoy them more when they come back out, rotated with the other toys. So some of the ideas involve bringing out a set of these put away toys which will be like new when they come out to be played with. I also included things like ’set up a ramp for the cars’, ‘play with mama’s basket of cookie cutters’, ‘color or draw’, ’set up a tent and play camping or read books inside’, and other simple things that Jude already likes to do but will help him get started playing something when he can’t decide. You could definitely adjust this idea for any age and different reasons.
Comment by Jess — September 7, 2009 @ 8:33 am
Such a great idea!
Comment by Jenney — September 10, 2009 @ 12:09 pm