“To find yourself, think for yourself.”

― Socrates

One of the best things you can teach your children is self-reliance. Confident and independent children often grow up into happy adults. A generation or two ago, with limited avenues of entertainment, children often engaged in creative plays. They amused themselves with books and simple games like hide and seek. But now, even with the hundreds of television channels, multiple electronic entertainment devices, and multitude of hobby classes etc., children still complain of boredom. So, what can the parents to do to encourage children to entertain themselves?

Refrain from giving yourself a guilt trip when your children are bored and lean on you. Encourage them to read more, write a story, paint or watch a movie at home by themselves. Provide them tools for creative engagement; construction games like Lego toys are an excellent example. Give them cardboard boxes and encourage them to build something out of it. Jigsaw puzzles can be lot of fun for children of all ages. Sudoku, logic puzzles and crosswords can also be a great source of entertainment for older children.

According to guiltfreehomeschooling.org, ‘Just as some tiny tots need to be spoon-fed the first bite or two of a new food before taking over to feed themselves, some children may need guidance in learning to play by themselves.’

Help your children select and enjoy by-myself activities. Help them sort things out if necessary. And once they know how to do so, teach them to rely on themselves.

For more, you can read the articles in this ClipBook.