7 Y/o Son Always Wants to Know "What's Next?"

When he says, "What's next?" say, "I don't know. What do YOU think is next?" If he says, "I'm bored," say, "That's too bad. What are you going to do about that?"

If nothing else, he will get so frustrated he will go off and quit bothering you for a little while.

Just wanted to let you know that I have a 6 year old daughter who is just like this. She always wants to know what we are doing next, later today, tomorrow....She gets upset if we are just planning to hang around the house for the afternoon or for the day. She always wants to be on the go. Even after a full day of school, when I pick her up she'll say where are we going now?

We have plenty of activities scheduled, but If we are staying home I tell her "she has to make her own fun". "We are not always going to be out doing something fun." She and her sister usually end up coming up with something to entertain themselves.

It does leave you feeling like this child is never satisfied!

It's good for kids his age to be bored.
If he's bored he needs to find himself something to do.
Boredom forces kids to be creative.
Tell him to go find something for himself to do. He is old enough to entertain himself.
This the biggest problem today, Parents don't allow their kids to be bored. Creativity and self reliance is at an all time low in today's kids they are constantly being entertained and over scheduled. With the after school stuff to the hand held games and TV .
Give him a stack of paper and some crayons and tell him that you're sure he'll think of something.

It is GOOD for kids... to think on their own.... and to get bored.
It helps them, their minds, to get centered and to think/feel about things and themselves.
It is often said, that a person who is always "busy"... does not know themselves or cannot be with themselves.... because they don't know... what to do with themselves and to just be. They do not know "how" to just be with themselves.

But a kid, likes to do things. And its their age. They can get bored.
I would help him... think of things himself... to make a "schedule" for himself on what he wants to do... instead of having his activities always... done for him. My daughter is that age... when she is bored or does not know what to do.... we tell her its 'good' being 'bored' and it helps her mind... then she likes to actually write down, in a journal, what she is thinking.. .and what she wants to do.... then she does it. We teach her about "planning" her day and 'organizing' things for the day too... and to just have fun. That it does not mean, always having to go places or people entertaining her. Of course she does have her activities/play dates etc., that we plan for her... but we also nurture her OWN self-direction... and her own self-reliance... to think outside the box, and think of things on her own, too. And she is very creative, and she WILL invent things on her own.... and we get very impressed with what she comes up with.
Sometimes, I give her a bunch of empty boxes and knick knacks... and I tell her to do something with it. It broadens the mind and creativity.. and the thinking and problem-solving ability... in a child.

When your son asks you what "we" are going to do next... simply ask him, "What are YOU going to do next?" Have him come up with projects... use things around the house... write in a journal, make things, cook, garden, use his hands, come up with a 'schedule' for himself etc. It ALL encompasses "problem-solving" ability... in a child. Which is important to nurture.

all the best,
Susan

He's 7 so I assume that he plays video games, correct? I think kids play them way to much, but anyway.......

There's a couple of things you can do...........one is introduce him to "quiet time" reading or listening to music, or even drawing/painting. You can call it one time or whatever you want.....

Another thing is at breakfast, maybe talk about the day. Here's what we have planned......stay at home and relax all day, or we're going here or there.........

You should also tell him that you would appreciate him NOT asking all the time. That if he is at home, just find something to do.........let him know it's ok to just do his own thing.........if something comes up and you are going somewhere or doing something, you'll let him know. Then when he asks what's going on, remind him that you ask that he not do that anymore.......

I told my kids and I tell my grandkids, you have a brain, you don't need to DO something all the time, you CAN just sit and relax or do something creative.....like read, draw etc........if you continue to tell him that, he will figure it out.

And yes, age is a part of it..........life changes and the more responsibility they get the more things change for them.....which is a good thing....
Good Luck and take care.

I have to agree that it may not be boredom, it may just be the type of kid he is. My 8 year old is like that. He has to know what's coming next, then contingency plans if it doesn't happen exactly as expected, then contingencies for the contingencies - drives me nuts. But, he's very type A, so am I, I like knowing what to expect, so does he. We've learned to roll with it. We answer his questions each time, if he's pestering or getting OCD about it we gently point out to him that we've already answered him and not everything can be planned for. It gets better with age because you can reason with him. The other day ds had 3 different contingency plans for our Six Flags trip depending on the weather. I finally told him he was starting to frustrate me talking about it and he said "I know Mom, I'm pestering, I just like to know everything, I'll stop now".

I would turn the conversation: "I don't know _______, what is next??" If he's looking for you to tell him what to do when he's bored; I would suggest making an activity wheel. Just a circle made of construction paper, or paper board- put slices of "Activity Pie" on it. Attach a spindle and arrow- (I'm sure you could find construction instructions online), and let him spin the wheel when he wants to know what's next. It takes some burden off your shoulders to the activities director, and makes deciding what to do next a little more fun.

Good luck-

I recently visited family out-of-state and noticed this a bit with my nieces and nephews. One of my kids used to do it too, prior to homeschooling.

Sometimes I wonder if its a symptom of this age - where children are almost always in scheduled or programmed activities. They go from school to organized sports to structured "camps" in the summer. I don't remember it being like this when I was a kid. In the summer we were mostly free!

Since we started homeschooling I notice that I never hear that question (and I'm not sure why - you would think I'd hear it more!).

I also wonder if it is a symptom of a tinge of anxiety - i.e., when the child is out of their regular routine (i.e., on vacation and away from structured days) they REALLY want to know what's coming next (because they get so little free time they don't know what to make of it!).

I can empathize - good luck!

I have a 7 yo boy and I think it's typical....he's always wanting to be on the move. Just get him engaged in an activity, be it a movie, books, game or toy and enjoy the few quiet moments when you can!
Is your son an "only"? Mine is and I think it magnifies the issue sometimes.

He isn't bored.. He just wants to know what to expect. My son likes a schedule - always has. He likes to know what each day will bring. He doesn't do change well and things that aren't organized make him nervous. He is now 17 and still asks what we are doing when. Today we went to the movies. He asked what we were doing after the movies on the way there. He likes structure. Enjoy it.
YMMV
LBC

Well, we use a lot of humor with this kind of things, but we all know we are joking, I don't know if your kid takes well jokes.
I would have say to my kid:
"Well, if you ask me one more time I could tell you what we are NOT doing next, but if you ask twice you will be asking WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
Or you can just ask him: "guess" Ohh you were sooo close, guess again.
Of course, this only opens for a whole new conversation that we all laugh about it.
Like if I say guess to my kid, she would have joke back and say, you are going to buy me the pony I always wanted? Then I would have say, Damn, it was a suprise, I guess I would have to returned now, thanks a lot to spoil the surprise!!
Ohh and if it is at home (like now in vacations) I would be like, humm, now that you mentioned, you need to help me clean the house.
Be sure she finds something to find her self busy the next day, it works like a charm, lol.

I think the previous suggestions are good, but don't exclude work. Dusting, vacuuming, sorting clothes, folding towels, whatever. Put their little energy to work and give them praise for doing it and later, praise for getting better at it, and so on. Maybe an allowance if he does all these helpful things on the chart each week. Gives them a sense of being helpful and productive. What next doesn't have to be entertainment. It can be education, me time, a class in his interest so he can practice it (karati, team sports, gymnastics), crafts that he can do himself daily once you get him started or trained, work, reading, talking about what he's read, etc. Just like life: a good balance. After you've shown him the variety, then it is easier to say, this is free time until dinner when you set the table. You can decide what you want to do with it.

My 6 yo is like that and always has been. He is very schedule oriented and likes to know when we are doing what. What makes me crazy is when we aren't following a schedule and he tries to tell us what we should be doing at a certain time. He had the same problem at school with his teacher this year. Anyway, with my son I know it is his personality. It has improved. At least he doesn't get upset when we deviate from our normal schedule anymore. BTW I am not a scheduled type person, but my husband has the same tendencies.

i love all the responses pointing out how useful boredom can be, and how compromised most modern kids are because they never get to experience it!
that being said, i don't think this child is bored. my younger was this way his whole life, and still is at 19. it's just the way he's built. he gets anxious if he doesn't have a game plan and LOVES to know just what the day has in store. he has become just fine with unexpected changes and variations (we worked on that throughout his childhood) but he likes to have a skeleton structure on which to hang his day's plans.
i suggest that each morning after breakfast you let him make out a schedule for the day. emphasize to him that plans are always subject to changes and disruptions, but having that little bit of control and anticipation over what's coming will probably be all he needs, and help you to avoid nutting up over the endless pestering.
good luck!
:) khairete
S.

Haha! This just reminded me that when I was young, saying "I'm bored" to my parents meant getting a bunch of chores. We very quickly learned NOT to say it. I didn't read any of the other posts, but I'd say some age-appropriate chores every time he expresses it should make him learn to entertain himself. I'm not a fan of too much structure. Kids need to learn to express themselves BY themselves without parents always hanging over their shoulders.

my grandfather had a cure for boredom in children, it was called WORK
you are bored, why theres grass that needs to be cut and branches that need picked up and your laundry doesnt wash itself, you know.
then , when thats done, i need one of you to come with me to the store,
(he was deaf, and needed someone to sign for him), course , then the
"signer" got handed a twenty to buy a twenty cent can of soda, and he never wanted his change back.
K. h.

Tell him that he is going to the resident.LOL. Play with him and occupy his imagination.Play things like hide and seek, cops and robbers,etc. Kids now-a-days have no imagination so spark it for him by giving him interesting books about magic and things of that nature and see how he reacts

Does he also say, "are we there yet"? "are we there yet"? "are we there yet"? "are we there yet"?