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Keeping the kids amused.
By Steven Pike
By offering the following suggestions, I'm not trying to tell anyone how to bring up their kids nor am I trying to point out what you are doing wrong (if anything). Parenting is not easy and keeping the little ones amused is one aspect of the job that sometimes seems much too time consuming or energy sapping to fit into our lives.
I'm sure a lot of parents do similar things with their children to keep them occupied, but maybe the following will give you some ideas that may make things easier and more enjoyable.
Take 'em away
This isn't possible on a weekly basis, but nothing will keep the kids amused like spending a day or to away from home. Whether it's camping, staying in a caravan park or hotel, the kids love exploring and visiting new areas. It is not necessary to travel too far from home and the accommodation need not be anything special. The children will pretty much amuse themselves.
If you have young children, between three and ten years for example, the area you visit does not have to have too much in the way of modern attractions or facilities. Kids at this age are like sponges; they absorb information without trying and the smallest thing can fascinate them. My six year old son loves to camp in the middle of the bush; the more isolated the better. He spends his days searching for kangaroos, wombats, birds and anything else that piques his interest. Even though he spots birds and kangaroos on a regular basis, he is still yet to find a wombat, despite sitting outside their burrows with a torch for half the night. The point is he never gets bored and manages to amuse himself the entire trip. All I have to do is feed him and answer the odd question.
Older kids, ten and over, are not as easy to keep occupied. They may become bored in isolated locations, unless they have a specific interest in the area. This can be alleviated by staying at places that provide other activities.
Wildlife parks, adventure parks, fishing spots, hiking trails and a nice place to eat are all good with the older kids and provide something different from their everyday life.
Sport
In between trips however, children are apt to get restless when they are at home. You may have experienced arriving home from work to be confronted by your kids stating that they are bored. This is a subtle hint from them to you that they want you to do something with them.
Often, having just finished working, you will be tired and maybe irritated after a bad day. The ideal activity here is to head to the local park or an appropriate open space and kick a ball around or ride a bike. Younger children will be happy to do either of these or some variation of. Be prepared to accept changing rules of the game though. You will probably find the exercise will do you good too.
Even mundane things like going to the local shops can break the monotony for kids. You can walk to the shops with the kids and dog in tow, killing two birds with one stone. A visit to the local park is good fun too at times.
There are countless toys that children have today, and often they will want to take them outside and try them out. This doesn't take much time or energy.
Indoors
This is where things start to feel like hard work for me. I'm happy with video or computer games, in moderation of course, and watching movies is also OK. It's when the board games are mentioned that I start to cringe.
I hate board games. Kids, of course, don't. If they find one they like, then, as with everything else, they play it to death. There is no getting around this. If you are a parent then you are going to have to play a board game or two. Depending on the type, they can be beneficial. Kids learn to count, add and think outside the square, so don't discourage them too much.
Watching movies and playing video games with your children can be good fun. As you know, it's hard not to laugh when your son or daughter starts and a lot of the later children's movies are great.
Relatives and friends
If you have friends with children then you can team up and amuse the kids. Sleepovers and outings can be arranged in a manner which gives each set of parents a break whilst the kids are off enjoying themselves. If all together, the children will usually mingle and leave the oldies pretty much alone.
Grandparents are a special resource. They love having the kids stay and usually spoil them rotten, which means you have to spend a day or two whipping them back into shape when they get home. Visiting the grandparents gives you and your partner a chance to recharge you batteries.
And the point is?
I think it is important to spend as much time with your kids as you can, especially in their younger years. Take them different places and show them everything. As they get older, the time spent with them decreases and they live their own lives and indulge in their interests. It doesn't take much to keep them amused and you will be amazed at how much they will learn.
Apart from the benefits to the kids, you will see obvious improvements in the way you think and view certain aspects of your daily life. It's good all round therapy.
About the Author Steven Pike spends all of his spare time visiting country areas of his home State, South Australia, taking photographs. His interest in nature extends into the areas of camping and fishing, but his focus is on the magnificence of nature. He hopes to portray some of this beauty in his photographs and encourage people to view their surrounds in a different light.
http://smp.photostockplus.com
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