5yr old who wont do anything than watch tv......

[Npg1]

Im really struggling with this mindee. I normally only have him for an hour in the evening 2 days a week after school. During this time he wants to watch tv which is fine wihile im cooking dinner but my children made the mistake of letting him play on ipad and now thats all he asks for.

I have him tomorrow all day and struggle with activities, everything I suggest he says no to. Drawing, playdoh, lego, magnetix puzzles, the list goes on. Last week I even got him some cars and he played with them for 5 minutes and then gave up!

Please does any one have some advice for me?!

[moggy]

I'd ban the iPad/TV and get outdoors!

[mama2three]

Id spend as much time as possible outside too.
Sounds like lo has the telly / tablet etc continually at home and hasnt discovered other ways of entertaining himself. Im afraid my telly would be 'broken' for a few days to break the habit , during which time I would spend as much time as possible playing with him and modelling play.

[sarah707]

I very rarely have the TV on - only for 10 minutes or so after tea until parents come.

If he doesn't know how to play any more he needs to re-learn... den making, paper aeroplanes, marbles etc

[welshgirl]

How about playing some games, the orchard toy ones are always good for this age. Little Lego is good too, it's all the rage this year according to my sons reception teacher. I have been making a dinosaur garden today with my 5 year old, he loved it, collecting mud grass leaves twigs, making a cave for the man etc.

[RuthJ]

The weather has been lovely here, so I would set up some activities in the garden, or take him out to the park or farm.

I only use DVD's for settling down before collection, and occasionally if I'm preparing lunch. I had a new baby today (9 month sibling of mindee) who was a little unsettled, and the older sibling kept asking to watch 'Thomas'. In the end I put it on because I couldn't set up an activity and distract the baby but I'm glad I don't usually because he was just glued to it, completely oblivious to everything else going on!

Maybe your TV should be 'broken for a few days!!

[MessybutHappy]

Or a new rule - thirty minutes of something else earns 5 on the tablet... not ideal but maybe a softly softly approach would work and in time he'll forget that he's been doing something for thirty minutes, and carry on for forty - if that makes sense? Kinda like the advice given to stop any habit - ban it for 30 minutes and you realise you didn't need it so bad after all!

[mushpea]

we never have the tv on here but thats mainly cause they dont ask for it, I have a 2 yrold whos simlar to your 5yrold, hes forgotten how to play because he is sat in front of the tv all day at home and I do find him hard work,
like others have said lego, den building , go to the park, my lot like making dens in the woods, baking, , suggest stuff and if he dosent want to DO NOT resort to the tv tell him its a no tv zone untill 3pm or prehaps the last hour of the day then if he still dont do anything you suggest leave him to get on with and see what happens,
the 2yrold I have normally sits and reads books constantly unless we are out, even if there is another child here to play with he just watches them, well today the babies were asleep and his mean ol childminder hid the books so he had no choice but to play and it worked for a while, he actutaly got the train set out and made a track. some times when kids get bored they find things to do, i actutaly think it does them good to be bored somtimes because then they have to think of things to dol.

[loocyloo]

my television is 'broken' most days

when mindees comment ( which isn't often ) its' usually to say '' don't worry loocyloo, DS will fix it when he gets home and we've had tea '' ... DS has the job of putting a dvd on after tea whilst we tidy the playroom up & get ready to go home, then we sit in the sitting room for 2 seconds watching before LO go home!

[hereigoagain]

Im really struggling with this mindee. I normally only have him for an hour in the evening 2 days a week after school. During this time he wants to watch tv which is fine wihile im cooking dinner but my children made the mistake of letting him play on ipad and now thats all he asks for.

I have him tomorrow all day and struggle with activities, everything I suggest he says no to. Drawing, playdoh, lego, magnetix puzzles, the list goes on. Last week I even got him some cars and he played with them for 5 minutes and then gave up!

Please does any one have some advice for me?!

Hi NPG 1,

Maybe try him with some interactive educational games or Arty Apps, using technology may be the way to go with him. If he makes a design using an App maybe you could then try encouraging him to recreate his on line master piece using the more traditional resources you have available. Try toucan learn or get him to look at Sparkle box to down load some printables. Hope this helps in some way