Top 10 Responses to, "Mom, Im bored!"

With the first day of school fast approaching, you’ve got kids who are probably a little resentful that the their days of freedom are numbered, while at the same time you can bank on the fact that they’ve run out of things to keep them occupied. The following list is intended to help you over the next week or ten days, whenever you hear those whiney voices complaining, "Mom! It’s boring around here!"

My favorite responses are:

1. Well then, go clean the litter box. (This may require reminders that the cats belong to them and are, therefore, not your responsibility. It may also require blackmail, depending on what your house currently smells like.)

2. Good. My feet hurt, rub them for awhile. (If you’ve stepped in aforementioned litter box, do not wash your feet. This is a great object lesson and may promote more timely action from the kids in the future.)

3. Cool. Let’s go pick up pop bottles along the road and turn them in for the deposit! (While this may humiliate your poor, bored little darlings, you can remind them that some people get rich doing quirky things like this.)

4. Why don’t you go get the broom and knock down all of the spider webs. (If your kids are afraid of spiders this may be a challenge. Remember, you are the Mom!)

5. You can always go count the blades of grass in the backyard. (If you live in an apartment, have them count bricks or leaves on bushes.)

6. Great! You can give me a back massage! (This is at least as refreshing as the foot rub and you should milk it for all it’s worth.)

7. Thank Goodness. I’ll let you go scrub the toilet. (About as much fun as cleaning the litter box.)
8. How do you feel about clipping my toenails? (Makes cleaning the litter box and scrubbing the tub actually look like fun.)

9. Okay. We can go to the cemetery and weed around the headstones. (Good deeds are always a winner, aren’t they?)

10. Go take a nap! (By the time you get to this suggestion the kids will be so grateful they’ll head for their beds in no time. Which was probably your goal in the first place, wasn’t it?)