Get ready….here it comes…wait for it…
Mom! I’m BORED!
I know that for some of you, the kids are already out of school, and for others, the time draws nigh. Within 2-3 days, some of those kids will be complaining about being bored, and will look to you to solve their problem. I’m here to help. Not with some fun game, or a Pinterest-worthy craft idea, but with a quote. Quotes take much less time and money, and can be re-used often.
If those bored kids are older than age 12, I have been saving a super-special quote for you to share with them. It is from Elder Richard G. Scott, and Elder Scott always means business. Here is the quote for your children:
 |
| Elder Richard G. Scott |
“You are here on earth for a divine purpose. It is not to be endlessly entertained or to be constantly in full pursuit of pleasure. You are here to be tried, to prove yourself so that you can receive the addition blessings God has for you.”
Richard G. Scott, “Finding Joy in Life.” April, 1996 General Conference. (Full talk here)
There you go. Feel free to pull out that quote and slap your teenagers with it whenever you feel they deserve it. You are most welcome.
I should probably warn you adults: Please be careful not to read that quote too often, or think about it too much. It has a way of calling our lives into question, and wreaking havoc with plans for trips to Mount Everest. (What? Read this)
Should you decide to read the full talk, watch out for phrases like, “Willing service to others is the key to enduring happiness.” Or “If you question everything you are asked to do, or dig in your heels at every unpleasant challenge, you make it harder for the Lord to bless you.” Surely this not the kind of thing we want to read as we try and figure out where we can go this weekend to get out of teaching Primary.
Good luck with those teenagers.
Wishing you and yours a great summer vacation, full of pleasure, entertainment and self-absorption! Enjoy!
Discover more from Thus We See...
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
I like the picture that you chose. It’s perfect. Quintessentially Elder Scott.
I’m writing these down for when I will have teenagers. And it only took reading them once for me to undergo a complete evaluation of my life. Thanks a lot! 🙂
I like the way you added the implications to adults in there. To me it is more effective than directly addressing the problem. I have to come to that conclusion myself, haha, so it must be true. I’m reminded of a quote by CS Lewis that I can’t look up, because I have a 1 month old sleeping on my lap. It goes something like “The devil can’t stand to be mocked” 🙂
“Above all else, the Devil cannot stand to be mocked.” C.S. Lewis
Thanks!
I have worked from home for the past 5 years, so every summer vacation I have to sit my two teenagers down and remind them, “You might be on vacation, but I’m not. Don’t expect me to entertain you, and please confine your mess to your own room.” I usually help them come up with a plan for their summer that involves a few fun activities, some studying, some self-improvement projects and some chores. This works pretty well. They feel like the accomplished something, I am able to work, and we have some fun.
It makes me incredibly sad when I hear parents complaining about their kids being home for the summer. My Facebook page has been filled with mothers who are grumbling about spending 6 extra hours a day with their children and already wishing school would start again. Maybe the words “I’m bored” can be translated as “shut off the tv,computer,phone and come play with me!”. I wonder how often those comments of “I can’t wait until these kids are back in school!” are translated by our children as “She doesn’t like spending time with me.” I wish more parents would understand that our children are not just a blessing from our Father In Heaven. They are *THE BLESSING*, the very best that of Heavenly Father has to offer us.
When my kids and I were home, I always thought summer break was too short. Miss those days with them!
I love this. I fear however, that if I ever tried to pull it on my naughty boys and all their locust friends who descended on my home day in and day out, I might still be bound and gagged in the basement.
At least it sounds like they are keeping themselves occupied.
That is a great quote. And I’m so relieved that she only applied it to children.
We can’t take summer vacations. This is the time of year we actually make our money in farming. Our children know that and the teenagers help on the farm while the others pick up the slack at home. Love those good old family farms where everyone is important and pitches in!
I was studying Sister Esplin’s talk from this past General Conference and just love this paragraph towards the end:
“We can know our children are beginning to understand the doctrine when we see it revealed in their attitudes and actions without external threats or rewards. As our children learn to understand gospel doctrines, they become more self-reliant and more responsible. They become part of the solution to our family challenges and make a positive contribution to the environment of our home and the success of our family.”
There’s an answer for us as parents to make sure our children aren’t bored but instead are self-reliant and responsible – teach them to understand the doctrine. I can see this in my own children. My three oldest are all very self-reliant, hard working, and really help to make our home a pleasant place. My #5 child (age 9) is the same. However our #4 (age 11) is not and I realize there are a few things she hasn’t quite learned to understand yet. Guess what we’ll be working on?
This is awesome. Thanks again for making me laugh. And now, as I’m rubbing my hands together in anticipation, I’m eagerly awaiting hearing my oh-so-favoirte line of summer (again). But shoot … I WILL have to rethink that whole Mt. Everest thing….