Beat the boredom

The young get bored easily as home activities become routine and there is a desire for fun. No need to despair. Beating boredom can be inexpensive and worthwhile.

Raymond Simmonds, a father of three preteens, knows that it is essential to keep the young ones active and out and about. “Sometimes we go to the country and go to the river in St Mary and they take fun in going to Trelawny where my wife comes from,” he said. “They go crazy about getting the drive-out and going to the country.”

The proud father said that the children go wild with excitement when he and his wife, Gladys, take them out. This breaks the monotony of home in Angels, St Catherine.

He said most of the time, Andrew, 12, Ariel, 9, and Andre, who is five, are more creative than their parents in finding new games, and it’s added pleasure when he joins them in their card games. “It’s like fun to conquer Daddy in a game, so there are things that they might do over and over, but having Daddy come and sit with them while they are doing it is like an added incentive.”

Not every parent is as creative as this dad, in helping the children beat boredom. Kathleen O’Sullivan of Smart Kids’ Nursery and Pre-School in St Andrew has some ideas. She said children have a short attention span and this should be taken into consideration when the parents are playing with them.

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