This is a phrase I hear almost everyday. My children will come up to me, usually just before bedtime and tell me, “Dad, I have nothing to do.” I have some to recognize the difference in their tone. Sometimes they are actually saying, “Dad, I miss you, can we do something?” This one is easy to spot.
It usually comes from the younger kids after I have been working a long day. It can be heard in the older kids if I have missed a day or two without sitting down one on one with them. It is easily rectified by a game, a book or simply listening.
The next one, the reminder, comes when I have told them to stop asking to do something because I have already told the no. This is my son’s favorite. He uses this one, when he wants to play an electronic game and his allotted game time is used up for the day. That is his way of telling me there is nothing to do, but play that game you told me I couldn’t. This one is easily thwarted by suggesting random chores that he could help out with. Occasionally, if he really wants to play, he’ll do the chores and then I relent and reward him in 10 minute blocks for each chore he does. My truck stays clean this way.
The last one is the, plea to stay up. This one is the most common, it occurs just before bed. As, the kids get older and can read the clock, I seem to hear it on queue fifteen minutes before designated bed time. Why, fifteen minutes before bed, so right at bed time they can say but dad I wanted to do something before bed, and I told you I didn’t have anything to do fifteen minutes ago. This is the easiest to overcome, I simply explain to them that fifteen minutes is exactly what it takes to pick up your room, brush your teeth, get your drink of water and say your prayer. Good night.
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