This morning I watched Kadin empty one of his toy boxes minutes after I filled it. He has three. One for large sized toys, one for medium sized toys and one for the small things.
I started to tell Hasan how he plays with each toy. He finds the little thing he likes about it and plays with it that way. Kadin rarely plays with a toy the way it is suppose to be played with. By that I mean how the instructions say it should be used, how the ad looked on TV etc....
I then went into a frenzy worrying about the way other kids play with their toys. Seems the kids on TV commercials for these toys are playing with them perfectly and never seem to need another toy around them....anywhere. Nor do they need anyone to show them. The toy is so brilliant that they just pick it up. Kadin NEVER does this!
For example the toy we gave him for his birthday. The snail that has shaped holes for placing blocks into. I assured Hasan this would teach Kadin shapes and patience and all the good stuff. He broke the thing up into 3 pieces. Not broken but you get the idea. He uses the body to put anything into and shake about for the noise and he uses the flat bottom part - that the head of the snail use to be attached to - to press the musical button over and over and over...and over again. That's it. That's how he plays with that toy.
I have shown him many times how it works and what he should do but he isn't interested. And this pattern is apparent with all of his toys. So I ask (the 2.1 people who read this site...) how does/did your kid play with toys? Am I failing? Am I not creating the perfect play environment for Kadin?
I doubt it. Seems he is a boy and a baby still. And someday he will get it. Besides Hasan assured me that these ads I am talking about are staged!!!???!! WHAT??! I had no idea! heh
I take some comfort in the fact that Kadin at one point would NEVER sit still for a book. Not even look at the pages. Could have cared less. Now I read Peppy the Puppy and Fun at the Circus about 48 times a day. As well Kadin spends a lot of his alone play time with his books. The other stuff just doesn't matter when Peppy calls his name.
So I relent and take comfort in knowing that right now he plays with the toys in pieces but sadly someday he will actually break them into pieces. Boys will be boys.
Oh and to end today's post Kadin's hair was in a ponytail earlier. HE INSISTED! He saw mommy's hair elastic and was adamant about having one in his hair. It was cute and I thought at first it would make me want to have a baby girl someday and although I know Hasan and I have plans for more kids soon - hopefully - a house full of boys would be just fine as well. Either way.....