Momma, I’m Bored!

What Can a Momma Do?

Ideas Galore, But Wait…

Let’s talk about this a minute. After this little side trail, then I have some fun ideas to share with you!

“Momma, I’m bored!” Have you ever heard that phrase come from your kids? It must be universal! I said it, my friends growing up said it, my children said it, kids in my care said it, and I hear complaints about it from other mommas.

Unexpected Remedy

Somewhere during my growing up years, (and I confess, I think I was an odd child!), it occurred to me that I might not be the only person who was bored, and that I could stave off boredom by doing something for whoever that other person might be. When focused on trying to help someone else out, I no longer felt bored!

Now that I’m older, I realize this thinking is actually a principle for living. Here are instances where this principle is brought out in God’s Word:

• Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted… Ephesians 4:32
• Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Matthew 22:39 & Galatians 5:14
• Whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister [in other words: servant]. Mark 10:43
• Jesus told his followers that he was personally blessed any time one of his followers did good things for someone else in his name! Matthew 25:35-40

HINT: Seeing our own child gladly help others may truly prove to be one of the greatest blessings to us as mommas. That said, let’s be sure we set a good example by how we spend our time!

Give Direction

Kids don’t always come up with the kind of idea I did, although I have known of some. In general, kids need direction; I believe mommas know this. The trouble is, sometimes we don’t have time for a lot of detailed, hands-on instruction-giving. That is when you give general direction based on the abilities of the child, letting the child use their imagination, intelligence, and resourcefulness to “take the ball and run with it”.

One Gentle Reminder

No matter the age of your child, as their momma, you are responsible for their safety and well being. Please use your own good judgement when trying to put into practice whatever you read or see on the Watermelon And Picket Fences website. I think we all can tell a story or two of something too scary that happened simply because of childish curiosity. So, if you cannot be actively involved, at the very least keep your eyes open, checking in often, and your ears attuned to what is going on, including unexplained silence.

Okay, now for the fun ideas! These are pretty much meant to be “idea ticklers” that you can mold to fit your family. Some are for very young children, while others are for older ages. Some are for the whole family, while others are for one or a few children. All of these ideas assume the weather will be sunny and hot.

Summer Fun Ideas

Wet Water Wins

• Water balloons, soaked sponges and sponge toys, squirt toys, squeeze bottles, water hose; anything that can squirt or splash water, or be thrown at someone without hurting them
• Yard sprinkler, tarp with water running over it (think slippery tarp and lawn), water table with a variety of things in the water, at-home-car-wash (or bicycle!); anything to get really wet
• Tarp-lined truck bed filled with water, water-filled (clean) livestock trough, local creek or pond, wading/swimming pools, the beach; anything to get into the water
• Blowing bubbles. Although this isn’t necessarily getting wet, in and of itself, it uses water so I included it in this list. Blowing bubbles has become quite advanced since I was a child blowing through the quarter-sized loop on the end of a wand! You might want to encourage your child to make DIY bubble solution, wands crafted from odds and ends, and blow the bubbles in an out-of-the-ordinary location (such as over a pool or next to a wall).
• Water Creative Activity (see photos below): Fill small containers with water, grab some old paint brushes, spray bottles, sponges, or toothbrushes, and suggest that the kids “paint” with the water. The “canvases” are numerous outdoors: walkways, home siding, fences; vertical or horizontal, they all work great! I’ve seen this in action; kids learning as they create their design, watching their design grow as they try different ways of adding water to the surface, and then seeing it all disappear from the heat of the sun! Much less messy than sidewalk chalk, includes water-fun, and encourages thinking outside-the-box!

Food Fun

• (We can’t NOT put this at the top of the list!) Watermelon eating, and seed-spitting contest on the lawn!
• Homemade ice-cream, with everyone taking turns at the crank, or made-at-home fruit juice freezer pops
• Picnic in the yard, at a park, the beach, or indoors with less bug visitors (at a mall on a shopping day?)
• Sipping Southern Sweet Tea or fresh lemonade on the porch or under a shade tree
• Barbecue with friends and family in your own backyard or potluck the meal items at a park
• Campfire cookout food ideas: toasted hotdogs, marshmallows, or s’mores; shish kabobs; roasted foil packets; roasted corn-in-the-husk; popcorn; these are just idea starters! The campfire can be in your own backyard fire-pit, on the beach, or using your portable grill at a park.

Things To Do

• Go for a walk. Make it purposeful by encouraging everyone to gather small natural objects (not from others’ property, of course) to use later. Ideas for later uses: scavenger hunt, summer memories scrapbook or frameable collage, collection for school project, full 3D arrangement for gifting or sale.
• Ride bikes around the neighborhood or to a destination such as a local ice cream shop.
• Read books in the shade or wherever it’s comfortable. Have everyone take turns reading aloud.
• Fly kites. Maybe you want to get the materials and instructions ready so the kids can make their own!
• Tell stories, each person taking turns to add to the story. This one seems to work best if guidelines are set by one responsible person before the story begins.
• DIY projects, as a group or individually. This encompasses everything from coloring pages, to watercolor painting, to making something useful out of junk (most middle school aged and older kids really thrive on this one), to melting broken crayon pieces into a design on cardboard under the hot sun, to planning the details for a family gathering.
• Support your child in learning a new skill, either self-taught or with help. One spool of thread, one needle, a pair of scissors, and fabric scraps are all it takes for some people to discover they love to sew. Paper, pencil, erasor, and maybe a prompt or two to get started; your budding artist could earn their living through graphic design later in life!
• Set a theme for a week or a month. Encourage your kids to look for ways to Do or Gather things (or information) during that time frame which relate to the chosen theme. At the end of that time, have a gathering or party to showcase it all.

Places To Go

Please NOTE: All of the things listed as Places To Go will most likely require that an adult be present.

• The ocean beach or any body of water.
• The zoo or similar place where animals can be observed, possibly touched, and maybe even interacted with.
• The park. Local or far away, small with play structure, or large with duck pond for floating homemade boats models, or open field for flying kites.
• The library. Here is where you can find free reading material, including DIY instructions for some of the other ideas you may want to try this summer. Ask the librarian for help finding specific kinds of books.
• Shopping mall. I honestly do NOT enjoy going to the mall, but I’ve gone with my teens because it’s fun to them. A combination, to them, of social event/place to see the latest and greatest/savor unusual foods, all wrapped in one. And air conditioned. And places to sit when tired of walking around. And even has public restrooms. ‘Nuff said, right?
• Tour a factory. This typically requires getting permission in advance, and likely means an adult must oversee the children. It might be an idea to include friends and their parents. In my area, we have cheese factories, baked goods factories, and flexible coil factories, to name a few kinds that are open to providing scheduled tours, or are open to the public for tours during specified hours.
• Visit the Fire or Police Department. Like touring a factory, this requires getting permission in advance, and likely means an adult must oversee the children. Again, it might be more fun to include friends and their parents. Why not, and include eating together afterwards as part of the day’s fun?

Not Final Last Word

There are so very many things that can be used to fill idle time. Many activities are productive, educational, fun, and maybe even financially profitable. I tend to think it’s pretty hard to say anyone has ever given the final word on this topic! Still, there are times when a momma is lacking inspiration. If this is you, you might try this: After naming one idea, ask your child for some ideas and see what they come up with. It’s amazing how quickly a child can come up with alternatives if only one suggestion is made! This not only gets them to use their own creative and intelligent minds, they will also be more willing and engaged in whatever is decided upon if it was their idea.

Expectations – Then And Now

I grew up in an era when kids spent much of their summer break outdoors. No mobile phones or technology devices. We learned to use our God-given imaginations. We learned how to interact with one another and get along even when there were differences. We learned to be resourceful.

Back then, more mommas were able to stay home, caring for their home and family as their primary occupation. Because of this, when it came to a child’s free time, mommas didn’t usually tell them what to do, other than approve their requests to go to the park, ride their bicycle, play at a neighbor’s, or run up to the corner market.

Now, however, it appears that kind of lifestyle has become rare. Mommas have valid reasons for feeling the need to keep their children closer to home. Financial strain has put pressure on mommas to seek employment outside of their full-time job of mothering, caring for her husband, and managing everything related to homemaking.

Nonetheless, momma, there are still godly, biblical principles that need to be put into play in our home lives. Our children must be raised to:

• Love God
• Live responsibly
• Be accountable
• Contribute to the wellbeing of others

Momma, as busy as you are, you really are the very best person to train your child up in the way they should go by implementing these godly principles.

God knows the times we live in, and has called us to such a time as this. Yes, you have many responsibilities, and it most certainly isn’t a simple trick to juggle them all. Still, with the help of God, by praying for your family daily, and by asking God to give you everything you need in order to be the best momma possible for your offspring, you can keep your focus on the right things, starting with the precious, eternal souls of your own family within your own home.

I type this almost weeping because of the depth of my conviction about this! I believe, with all my heart: Momma, YOU ARE SO MUCH MORE VALUABLE THAN YOU MAY EVER REALIZE IN THIS LIFETIME!