My 3.5 years old girl keep saying she is bored!

[nanana]

Funz:

nanana:

Thanks, but usually she will only play alone for at most 10 minutes and she will come bug me again. She won't play alone for a good 30 minutes! No matter what toys or puzzles she was in. She just want someone to be with her all the time.

What do you do when she demands your attention after 10mins of play? You give her your attention or you tell her to go find something else to play with on her own?

It will take some time to get her used to and understanding that there will be certain times in a day where you will not be readily available to play with her.

I will tell her to find something else to play, but she refuses and will be fussing. It depends on her mood. Sometimes she will listen and go find something else to do, but most of the time she will just cry and fuss.

[nanana]

straffan23:

Just to share, if you are a SAHM you can involve her in some of your daily routines. For example I used to get my daughter to help choose groceries at the market, then we clean the veggies together.... Some days we bake together.. Some days we make sushi or rice balls just for fun. Some other days I take out the bedsheet and drap it over furniture to make a 'house'. I realise that sometimes, children are easily bored if they play with TOYS. But if you let them invent their own FUN/TOY... their imagination runs wild and they're so busy thinking of what to do!

Thanks for the ideas!

[nanana]

slmkhoo:

Funz:

[quote=\"nanana\"]
Thanks, but usually she will only play alone for at most 10 minutes and she will come bug me again. She won't play alone for a good 30 minutes! No matter what toys or puzzles she was in. She just want someone to be with her all the time.

What do you do when she demands your attention after 10mins of play? You give her your attention or you tell her to go find something else to play with on her own?

It will take some time to get her used to and understanding that there will be certain times in a day where you will not be readily available to play with her.

You have to firm and tell her to go and do something by herself. If 10 mins is her current maximum, set your target at 15 mins first, then gradually increase it over a period of a few weeks. If she's smart, she will try pouting, crying, sulking, pulling... but you have to be firm and not give in to such manipulation.[/quote]Yes, when I am cooking, I will ignore all her crying and demand. Initially she would cling to me and cry and even pull my pants, etc. But after sometime, she understands that I need to cook and will play by herself. Other than cooking, if my own stuff is not that important, I will give in to her and go back to play with her. I cannot stand her wailing.

[ammonite]

nanana:

But after sometime, she understands that I need to cook and will play by herself. Other than cooking, if my own stuff is not that important, I will give in to her and go back to play with her. I cannot stand her wailing.

To be honest, I think she's very normal. Some kids need more interaction, others don't. This age is when they imitate, this is how they learn. So show her something useful and as another poster said, involve her in your daily life. Sometimes you need to help them get \"started\" on an activity until they have enough mastery to do it by themselves. You have to see if the toys she has are appropriate for her and if she has had enough input to be able to play on her own.

Consider if you have spent enough time demonstrating certain skills and giving her ideas e.g with building blocks, cooking toys, painting, playdough etc. Consider also if she is a very tactile person or visual person etc. At her age, she can do threading next to you while you cook, or she can help to chop soft vegetables with a butter knife. Or she can pour water from one container to another, with or without funnels. These are all purely for the child's exploration, and NOT to make your life easier. There will be cleaning up to do afterwards, and it may slow down your chores. But it is very good for her as she explore her senses and become a more independent learner/explorer.

Have a rough schedule for indoor activities, together chore time, outdoor time, and downtime. With predictability she will be easier to manage and she will also become your good helper.

[nanana]

Thanks all for sharing. Glad to know that she is normal.

I hope to be able to manage her better. :xedfingers:

[Ichigokun]

@nanana


Maybe you can ask her to help out with the very simple things when you are cooking? Like washing the vegetables etc.

Maybe teach her to recognize the different ingredients like chicken, tomato, spinach etc.

But must make sure she doesn’t get near dangerous objects like knives or stoves. Keep an eye on her at all times in the kitchen.

[Ichigokun]

@nanana


Maybe you can ask her to help out with the very simple things when you are cooking? Like washing the vegetables etc.

Maybe teach her to recognize the different ingredients like chicken, tomato, spinach etc.

But must make sure she doesn’t get near dangerous objects like knives or stoves. Keep an eye on her at all times in the kitchen.

[nanana]

Ichigokun:

@nanana


Maybe you can ask her to help out with the very simple things when you are cooking? Like washing the vegetables etc.

Maybe teach her to recognize the different ingredients like chicken, tomato, spinach etc.

But must make sure she doesn't get near dangerous objects like knives or stoves. Keep an eye on her at all times in the kitchen.

Yup. Thanks!