My next door neighbor has a little boy who recently turned 3. HE swipes the tools (Hammer, screwdriveretc.) and uses them in the proper manner to take everything apart. He can undo all the childproof locks, Has long knwn how to work the VCR, unscrews any screw he can find. He Took apart a little stool day before yesterday and took apart his bike last week and yesterday he removed the bottom of a toy in an attempt to see what's in there. They bought him toy tools and he was wholly unimpressed and informed his mom the tools were "Fake." When they succeed in hiding the tools from him, he gets butter knives from the drawer for a screwdriver or a pan for a hammer. His mom told me today that she is thinking of getting him an xbox for Christmas and that his Grandmother thinks he has ADHD ! :roll: I told he he just has energy and short attention span cause he's a 3 yo boy and to skip the xbox cause he'll only take it apart. Any advice for this budding mechanical engineer? I'm not as familiar with boys and their toys.. is there something he could have to safely disassemble and reassemble instead of the X-box?
Oh, honestly!!! I think you're absolutely right. He's a curious little guy, probably rther bright, and is very interested in how things go together and work. Of course 3YO's have a short attention span! I bet he could sit for a really long time and focus on what he' taking apart! Any building toys...magnetex, legos, etc. Rainbow Resources just came out with their Christmas catalog. Maybe there's something in there. We got Phillip a big plastic Workbench at that age, complete with plastic tools. The first "project" was helping Daddy assemble it (with his plastic tools!). But in all honestly, he didn't play with it too much...he was more into the "real" things. I bet this boy would be, too!
I think she should look for ways to encourage his interest and abilities. He needs to see how things work. That doesn't sound unusual to me. I thought that was what boys did for a living! My oldest was so bad about taking things apart he took my grandmother's door knob off her front door when he was almost three and she couldn't get the door open. He was a Lego maniac. He is grown now and a policeman but he still has to know how things work. Beth
Well It's not just boys, my youngest has always been that way and still is that way, will take everything I mean everything apart to see what is made of. Just did a clock yesterday for us. Hmmmmmm busy little girl is what I call her. But, I found if I get legos and things for her to sit and build and take apart she is happy. She loves putting things together like models and things. Find some kits for him to do, Hobby Lobby has alot of them.
Kinex is another good one.....You can get all kinds of cool sets to build. That's a hard one for mom....but awesome for this little boy!
Oh my gosh! ADHD?!?! They have GOT to be kidding! For one, the only way to truly test ADHD in a child that young it through a brain scan. Number two, 3 years old in my opinion is way too young to even think that. ALL 3 year olds act crazy. AND, if they really do think he has it, do they honestly think buying him an XBox is going to help it?! Geesh! I don't get some people. Plus, Jackie brought up a good point, he is obviously sitting for long periods of time when taking stuff apart. That says a lot. I think it's great that this boy is so mechanically inclined. I guess as a parent it would get annoying, but maybe they should teach him what he CAN and CAN NOT take a part then. Are they doing that? When he does this stuff where are the parents? It takes awhile to take apart stuff so are they anywhere around him to TEACH him what he can and can not do? I also agree they need to buy him stuff that encourages his abilities...tinkertoys, lincoln logs, legos, Kenex, and other stuff he can build and take apart. They also make sets for things they can build with wood and other stuff. They need to foster his ability.
I think he sounds adorable! He just needs to have all that energy put in its proper place. Maybe his own Home Depot tools for kids---have you seen that? The tools actually work. Legos, Lincoln Logs....stuff like that. He may also need some attention. Like, a parent engaging him in activities that center around building and stuff like that. What do some people think? That kids are dolls? Geesh.
My son had some type of car that was made to take apart and put back together at that age. It may not be "real" enough for this littel boy though. I think the others are right. This guy needs creative things (legos, tinkertoys, etc) to foster his curiousity, not an xbox to encourage him sit in front of video games for hours. Toys R Us has some kits that teach kids to make things. They have the Home Depot logo on them. They come with "real" child sized tools. I think they are geared towards older kids, but if this guy is already using the tools, they might work for him.
I am wondering the same thing? Are they teaching him what is allowed and what is not allowed? There is a way to promote his abilities and teach him boundaries at the same time. Of course it takes alot of consistency, as we know with young children.
This sounds so familure, Donald is our tool man and can put things together, Malcolm on the other hand just likes to take things apart to see how they work, and is not the best at putting them back together, I for sure would say a different video game than X-box because most of the games are for teens, we are in the middle of switching out from X-box to playstation. But none the less, the little guy needs to learn when to take things apart and when not to.
Cool, thanks to everyone who suggested the kid sized real tools. He might appriciate having some his own size and some that won't be hidden from him. I thought maybe he could be allowed to have some things (probably broken stuff) that he is allowed to disassemble whenever he likes, but I was wondering what sorts of things wouldn't have dangerous parts inside. hehe Sloan, he took their bathroom doorknob off a few weeks ago! As for were they are when he's taking stuff apart and why they aren't teaching him what is and is not acceptable to take apart... dont' get me started! She just dosn't direct the kids. She is a teen mom and is well intentioned but I think she is quite immature in how to raise kids. SInce she asked my advice, I wanted to get what I can in there! I will suggest legos and such too, I'm not sure if he already has some or not.
There are some fun "put together" toys called Zoobs. Have you heard of them? They're along the K'Nex line. They're fatter, maybe easier for little hands to hang on to, and have the "claws" and "balls" at the end of them to connect them to each other. My oldest was kind of like this little boy, and he loved those at that age!
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/s...4079_1&results-process=default?tag2=amdmsn-20 these are from amizon.com
an erector set!!!!! its like knex + leggos, only you have to use real live screw drivers (kid size) to put it together... they make huge sets, jr sets (with bigger pieces) and little starter kids (maybe you could get him one of the $5-$10 kits and pass it on to his mom with a suggestion to get him the big kit for christmas. my kids love them! home depot tools are a great idea too. do your kids have any old toys he can take apart? id say encourage this as much as you can! x-box my elbow!!!!! this kid could be an engineering genius and you wanna kill all those perfectly good brain cells with an xbox! sheesh!
Erector sets do exist! In fact they have some type of competition each year. I know a couple of years ago it was to build replica of the Eiffel tower. I can't remember what it was this year. I just got a catalog from Hearthsong (never got this before) and it has a few construction toys in it. There is a tool belt and junior tools and also a pulley set (really neat). These toys are kind of expensive though. The website is www.hearthsong.com if anyone wants to check it out.
Get teh boy a tool set for CHristmas and an errector set!@ I am Serious! HE hasa gift and he needs to foster it!@ sO THEY should get him things to use it correctly.. he can build robots and all kinds of things without getting into trouble... MY ds9 was a computor hacker at 2, so I understand the want to get him away from this sort of problem, but instead we got him games to foster his need to create things of his own on the computor now he does power points, he taught himself to do, creates videos with sound as well... Creativity and enginuity needs to be fed correctly or it could become big problem in later years! Sorry I am tying with a sore finger this am... missing the middle finger because it decided to hurt.. no reason but like when you get ahang nail? ONy in past I smashed this one so it doesnt take much to get it irritated around all the fragments of bone in there haha!
