There reaches a point in every day that if a mother or father hears the phrase "I'm bored" out of the mouth of their child, they may go crazy. So instead of ignoring their pleas, give them something to do. Either they will love the suggestion, or the next time they feel bored, they might find something else to do without bothering you!

Here are ten suggestions to ease the boredom in your child's life:

Three basket game

Give your child three baskets or bags - one for garage sale, one for give-aways and one for trash. Have them go through their toys and sort accordingly. Lay down some ground rules - broken items are trash (no, they can't keep them, it just adds clutter and has no value), toys they no longer play with must be given away or sold and they have to put at least five items in each basket/bag. Still bored? Then have them go through the garage sale items and label their items with acceptable price tags.

Laundry race

If your child (or children) are complaining about being bored, let them have a glimpse of your world - take all the clean, folded clothes and lay them out on the bed. Sort into piles - towels, linens and clothing that belongs to each person. Have them race to put their clothing away, along with either the towels or linens, and see who finishes first. Award everyone with some ice cream or popcorn. Not only will they forget about being bored, but the laundry will be put up too!

Board game championship

This is an especially great activity if it is raining outside - have the whole family (or whoever is home) participate in a board game championship. Play two or three games and the overall winner gets to choose what's for dinner or the movie for the evening.

Dabble in the arts

Give your child all the markers, colored pencils, crayons and paints in the house and ask for three different pictures. When finished, adorn your home with the pictures - or take one or two to work.

Go to the library

Nothing beats the boredom blues like a great book or two. Make a quick trip to the library and have your child pick out a few books. During the next few days ask them about the book, what they liked about it and what they would have changed. This is a great way to encourage reading, and you can get a few books yourself.

Teach them how to cook

You've got to cook dinner anyway, right? So why not teach your child how to do it too? Let them help make the evening's meal, and you may find that you have a gourmet chef in the family.

Baseboard mania

They are truly the most ignored thing in the house - baseboards need love too. So, hand over a damp rag and put your child to work. A little elbow grease never hurt anyone, and they may find other things to do the next time they are bored.

Research project

All kids want to know more about something - so help them pick a topic and do an internet search. You may even want to do it together - it's a fun way to learn and connect at the same time. This activity also produces stimulating dinner table conversation among the whole family.

Movie day

If they are bored, and you are too, why not have a movie day? It doesn't hurt to watch a few movies in the same day every now and again. Everyone pick their favorite and let the viewing begin.

Craft crazy

Get online or thumb through one of your handy dandy craft books and pick a craft that they can do alone, or you may even want to join them. Find something stimulating and challenging enough for their age group so they use their noggin a bit. It really does pass the time, and the end result is usually great enough to take center stage on a bookshelf, wall or dinner table.