Actually I am with Judy in the boring category. We pull out the same things year after year and well let's face it kids love repetition much more than we do so the third or fourth day of playing the same game or singing the same song does get boring. And my group plays so well by themselves that I do spend more time in the background during freeplay instead of hovering over them and constantly interjecting myself into their play.

This is when I have to remind myself that freeplay means I am free to play too so that is how I can be on here right now checking emails while they play and then we will do a group activity and then.... the day flits back and forth between me with them and them without me.

I try to keep a basket of things to do while they play nicely to fill the voids where I am just standing around lost since they don't need me - mend a pair of pants or fold a tub of laundry, empty the dishwasher, glance through a magazine.

Also remember at least here in Ontario while having visits and playgroups in our home are not allowed we can have a mom and her children visit us. So to get the adult interaction you are craving you could advertise for a mom such as one home on mat leave interested in bringing her child over to play. As long as the mom stays apparently you are legal since the mom is in charge of her own child not you. It is only another person's daycare children you have to count in your five.

As Judy pointed out it is the standing/sitting around waiting for the children to need you that is the boring part and what makes the day seem long and as if we have no purpose.

Momof4 it is great that you can get out as often as you do. I just find with my young group the getting there hassles negate anything positive that happens once there and we all just end up miserable so while I have little ones I stay closer to home - as in at home unless we are walking the neighbourhood.

For mental boredom what about doing the crossword puzzle or suduko from the newspaper while the kids play.