Question: Why can’t our kids entertain themselves?

It’s summer, and that means lots of down time, which is both a blessing and a curse. I mean, how many times can you go to the Children’s Museum without losing your mind? (I’ll get back to you on that.)

Aren’t children supposed to be bored sometimes? Can they please just be bored but not fight with each other? I was on the phone yesterday with a brand new acquaintance with whom I was arranging a possible play date. And my kids were losing it and letting the world know. (Please note: I haven’t heard back from her.)

I was mildly mortified, and I thought, can’t these kids entertain themselves for fifteen minutes without me? In a word, no. Actually, they can entertain themselves, and for longer than fifteen minutes, but only if they think I am doing chores or something menial and (here’s the key) boring.

The minute, the SECOND, I’m on the phone for ANY reason, they are all over me with requests, demands, and whines. Do they have some kind of internal RADAR that goes off?

Dude, Mom’s trying to read a book. Let’s ambush her!

What’s Mom doing now?
The laundry.
Oh, okay, let’s go play by ourselves.

They smell the enjoyment you might be having. If you’re cleaning up urine, they could care less. But the minute you’re IM-ing your best friend or reading an interesting article in The Economist, it’s all over.

So the secret, I’ve discovered, is to hide in plain sight. Don’t ever announce that you’re going to do something that can’t be interrupted; that’s asking for trouble on a silver platter. Just kind of, quietly, disappear. Stay within earshot, so when they call out, you’re there, but don’t make any other noise and for god’s sake don’t act like you’re having fun!

Just some tips I’m picking up this summer. This being the summer of our one bedroom apartment.

Any other tips would be greatly appreciated.