Works For Me: "Mom, I'm Bored"

Over the last few days, my kids and I have been working on what we call our "Mom, I'm Bored" List.  Now that summer is here, and our family rules require that no one is allowed to look at any screens (TV, computer, video games) between the hours of 9 am and 4 pm, I wanted to make sure the kids felt empowered to give me some peace and quiet entertain themselves. 

Basically, I had the kids list everything (non-screen-related) they could think of to do.  Now, when they're tempted to use the B-Word with me this summer (you know, the B-word..."bored"...what did you think I meant?) I can point them directly to the list.   And they have had so much fun coming up with ideas..  I told them to get as specific as possible, and they did!  They listed separately every board game we own, and items such as "play pirates", "play super-heroes" and "play cowboys" each got their own line-item on the list. 

Now, on to Mr. Linky...

Though it does my heart more good than you can imagine to get upwards of 75 comments on Wednesdays, I was starting to develop arm cramps from cutting and pasting all your great links.  So I'm going to try out Mr. Linky this week...instructions should be pretty self-explanatory when you look at it below.  (A giant thank-you to Carol for walking me through this--twice--over the phone).  Please, LINK DIRECTLY TO YOUR WFMW POST, NOT THE FRONT PAGE OF YOUR BLOG.  This way people will be able to find your idea more easily.  Let's give this a try...

Comments

[Tess]

good job shannon - I can see you found my comment on your last post. Thanks for linking to me!

I totally understand the b-word. My mom and dad would not let us inside the house during the day in the summer except for bathroom and thunderstorms, so we had to invent our own games outside. Have a good one!

[Tess]

good job shannon - I can see you found my comment on your last post. Thanks for linking to me!

I totally understand the b-word. My mom and dad would not let us inside the house during the day in the summer except for bathroom and thunderstorms, so we had to invent our own games outside. Have a good one!

[owlhaven]

Good idea about limiting screen time. I wonder if I could hold myself to it....

Mary

[Faith]

What a great idea! We don't do TV around here ( although we do DVD's).
We even have to limit that with a 15 month old! He would love to just keep it on in the background all the time!!

Mine is up. And yes! It really is 3:22 AM when I am posting this! ;D

[Faith]

Does that mean I need less screen time?????

[Michele]

Shannon, I'm sorry but I messed up. Ang is doing the "Works for Me Wednesday" post this week. Is there a way that you can change the name?

[Michele]

Aaargh! I'm am not doing so good this morning. It let me delete me but now I've messed up the link and it's pointing to the whole blog not the post. Maybe I need to have tea before I do things like this.

[Mary Ann]

I hope I did this right! It keeps coming up for me to delete myself. Is that right? :-)

[Michele]

OK, it appears that you set this up brilliantly because it's idiot-proof. I was able to correct the problem. Now, I need my tea!

[Jenn]

Cool auto link thing! Thanks for hosting this neat feature. I've got mine up at Frugal Upstate.

[Jenn]

Janice's link is broken (it has http:www twice)

Theresa's link doesn't seem to go to a works for me wednesday entry

[Shalee]

Shannon,

I am sooooo happy that you discovered Mr. Linky. It will make your arm a whole lot happier, but think of all the muscles you could have been building...

Thanks for the WFMW post. Usually I steer away from anything on the B-list...

[Courtney]

Thanks for sharing. I love it!!!

[Nettie]

Good Idea on Mr. Linky, too. I wondered how you were doing handling the managing of all this. The limited screen time idea is great. I'm just wondering how much I can limit without getting a revolt from the masses. We do always sit down and make personal as well as family goals and plans for activities for the summer. It really does help combat the boredom!

[Diane]

What a brave momma you are! No screen time--and it's summer! I don't know if I could hold to my guns on that one! What a great idea though--

We have limited screen time--especially as it relates to video games. Now that my son is 14, he will probably sleep in until noon--so I'd only have four hours to supervise....maybe it's manageable after all!

:) Diane

[Stephanie]

Great idea!! I will have to remember this for when my kids can think of things and actually write them down! Maybe I should start a list for them!

[Becky]

Mine has to be the funniest but I'm being brave and sharing!! :)

[Amy]

Great idea! I will keep this in mind when my two little ones are grown and complaining of boredom!!

[Carol]

I am so going to have to get my kids to make their lists...for the three weeks this summer that nothing else is going on.

Good one, Shannon!

[DivaP]

I am going to have to a "bored" list for myself - I mean my son (hee hee) - great idea!

[Jodi]

Great idea! I heard the "B-word" from my 7yo for the first time yesterday. I told him that certainly if he was bored I could find some great chores for him around the house.

That also worked for me. ;o)

[Gabriela]

That's a great idea. I am going to have my kids sit down and make their lists pronto!

[Gabriela]

Shannon: sorry! just read the part about linking to the WFMW post and not the whole blog!! I don't know how to fix it, but I promise, next week, I will get it right!

[Amy from Ezekiel's Garden]

Great idea!!! We're going to be doing the same thing because the TV has gone the way of the dodo for the entire summer, even after 4 p.m. Good thing our back yard has lovely shade most of the afternoon! :)

[Gibee]

You are a brave woman, Shannon! Trying something new-ish like Mr. Linky!!!

As for the screen thing, is it really possible to hold to that rule? Really????

[Lyn]

This is a great idea! My kids don't use the "b" word here, I have my own list "muwaaaahaaahaaaa"

[Amy]

Sorry guys! My stupid comments function hasn't been working since THURSDAY! Yikes! Didn't even realize it. If you guys want to stop by now, it has been fixed. Thanks again, Shannon, for the great ideas!

[aggiejenn]

Thanks for the tip! I'll be sure to use it when my little one gets old enough!

[grammyelin]

I always did this with my kids when they were little. It was called, "100 things to do in the Summer". The last thing on the list was "take a nap". I figured that if they couldn't find a single thing on that list to interest them, that they were just too tired to function, so they were required to take a nap. It's amazing how often they chose #99. It happened to be make pudding. I remember eating A LOT of pudding over summer holidays!

[stephanie]

Okay, I left my link ... what a great idea. :)

[Theresa]

Sweet Shannon - and people think SAHM aren't techie!! I beg to differ!!

[Shannon Miller]

Great tip! We're going to do some official limits on the screen time, too. Up to now I've just been monitoring myself, but I'd rather have specifics in place.

[mom2fur]

Wow, that Mr. Linky thing is coooollll!!!
Is it Wednesday again already??? Can't wait to read all the great tips!

[Julie (rarely-home mom)]

Here's my comment - its my first time participating (and I was all kinds of excited) and I didn't even follow directions for the linkage - I'm sorry! I copied and pasted what I thought was the right link, but when I went to check it, it was the main page link. I'm so sorry! The link should have been: http://rarelyhomemom.blogspot.com/2006/05/works-for-me-wednesday.html

And with that, I'll go sit in the time out corner.

[Jules @ Everyday Mommy]

Mine's up! Finally...

[Rabbit]

My response to "I'm bored..."? "Hi, Bored, I'm Mom! Nice to meet ya!"

[Julie (rarely-home mom)]

Ok...this might be my first time posting a comment (even though I've been reading for awhile) and now I'm going to be clogging up your comments! I figured out how to edit a link, if you want to put it in the directions for next time. I refreshed/reloaded this page (the wfmw page) and by my comment there was an option to delete! TypePad remembered who I was since I left a comment earlier. I simply deleted the comment so I could put a new comment with the correct link in. Whew!

[Julie (rarely-home mom)]

And when I just said "delete comment" above the "comment" I meant was actually "LINK" with the Mr. Linky thing.

[Kristen]

Great idea! My mom used to do this for us every summer, also. Luckily, my kids aren't too hooked to the TV so it won't be hard, but I think I'll try making a list, too. (Just in case).

I read your blog often, but don't always comment because there are so many comments, I figure you won't get to mine. ;-) Just wanted to tell you I love your blog.

[melnel]

I like Mr. Linky. :)

And having your kids come up with their own ideas seems like a VERY smart idea.

[melissa]

what a great idea! i'm going to get them busy on those lists today!

[HeatherW]

Wow! Your summer's here? We're not out until June 6th!

We do no screentime too, so I can't wait to get my girls to make out their lists. Now to reading all the other great links.

Thanks for doing this Shannon. I've gotten so many great ideas from it. In fact, the other day I saw my husband stand aghast when he walked by the fridge and I had my grocery list template up. I loved the shocked look on his face. I'm sorry to say, I gave you no credit though and let him think it was all me. :-)

[Dianne]

I hardly remember being bored in the summertime when I was a kid! We usually had to go over to my gram's field bright and early to pick green beans and whatnot; the rest of our days were usually spent playing in the woods or the creek, trying to stay cool. Or helping said gram deal with the stuff we just picked. Nice site. I tried Mr. Linky - worked fine for me.

[Code Yellow mom]

Awesome idea to limit screen time and so smart to help the kids with a pre-emptive strike on boredom.

[edj]

We, too, ban the B-word round here! I always go ballistic (does that count?) when I hear it and send them off to clean their rooms! They've learned it's better to read a fun book than risk the wrath of Mom!

[Rebecca]

Thanks again for running this show. The fact that I even have something to share on WFMW is makes me feel good! I look forward to reading other good ideas.

[Missy]

Great idea. I need to do some summer planning. I finally posted one of my ideas!

[Sue]

This was my first time trying this. I like the Mr. Linky!
Thanks for all you do Shannon...

[Jan]

Great idea. Kids love feeling in control, and making their own list works great for them and makes your life easier too.

[Jan]

I just wish I could get my husband to follow this rule. He turns the t.v. on when he gets up, and it's on a timer so it goes off after he is asleep.

[Gina C]

Great tip! I'll have to try it! I put my first WWMW up!

[crickl]

hmmm, works for everyone else, but works not for me! lol Might be my shrimpy computer memory. It's acting up.

Every time I try to do Mr Linky, my Safari browser crashes.....any ideas?

I'll try it later on husband's computer. Great tool though!!

[Eva]

Love the compilation.....nifty....can't believe I just used the word nifty....

[JD]

The list is such a great Idea!! I would have had a wonderful childhood with a list LOL

[Maxie]

Love the idea of limiting screen time. I cancelled our cable in April and told them I will turn it back on again when it gets cold in October. At first my family went through serious withdrawals. (Even I didn't know what to do without Law and Order being on around the clock) but now they've gotten used to the idea and *gasp* they are actually riding the bicycles we bought them and jumping on the trampoline (or jumpoline as my 4 yr old calls it.)

The Mr Linky. Wow. I'm new to blogging and have so very much to learn. You have a beautiful site. I will visit again.

~Maxie

[Christy]

Ooh, I LOVE Mr. Linky!! So easy. I know I'm a day late, but here I am!

[HolyMama!]

shannon, this idea is so great. i just wanted to congratulate you on the success of wfmw! are you thinkin 'book idea?!'

[crickl's nest]

It worked for me! lol Thanks to Mr Linky and a different computer. Fun fun.

Thanks Shannon!

[Missy]

I don't get how Mr. Linkey works. HELP ME! Is there supposed to be links to other people's summer ideas? Thanks!