by Steven Pike

Created on: October 30, 2008

By offering the following suggestions, I'm not trying to tell anyone how to bring up their kids nor am I trying to point out what you are doing wrong (if anything). Parenting is not easy and keeping the little ones amused is one aspect of the job that sometimes seems much too time consuming or energy sapping to fit into our lives.

I'm sure a lot of parents do similar things with their children to keep them occupied, but maybe the following will give you some ideas that may make things easier and more enjoyable.

Take em away

This isn't possible on a weekly basis, but nothing will keep the kids amused like spending a day or to away from home. Whether it's camping, staying in a caravan park or hotel, the kids love exploring and visiting new areas. It is not necessary to travel too far from home and the accommodation need not be anything special. The children will pretty much amuse themselves.

If you have young children, between three and ten years for example, the area you visit does not have to have too much in the way of modern attractions or facilities. Kids at this age are like sponges; they absorb information without trying and the smallest thing can fascinate them. My six year old son loves to camp in the middle of the bush; the more isolated the better. He spends his days searching for kangaroos, wombats, birds and anything else that piques his interest. Even though he spots birds and kangaroos on a regular basis, he is still yet to find a wombat, despite sitting outside their burrows with a torch for half the night. The point is he never gets bored and manages to amuse himself the entire trip. All I have to do is feed him and answer the odd question.

Older kids, ten and over, are not as easy to keep occupied. They may become bored in isolated locations, unless they have a specific interest in the area. This can be alleviated by staying at places that provide other activities.

Wildlife parks, adventure parks, fishing spots, hiking trails and a nice place to eat are all good with the older kids and provide something different from their everyday life.

Sport

In between trips however, children are apt to get restless when they are at home. You may have experienced arriving home from work to be confronted by your kids stating that they are bored. This is a subtle hint from them to you that they want you to do something with them.

Often, having just finished working, you will be tired and maybe irritated after a bad day. The ideal activity here is to head to the local

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