I've clearly missed my goal for the number of posts and commas per day, having already fallen behind within just a week. I underestimated how much work returning to teaching would involve these past few weeks. I also didn't fully grasp how tiring it would be to teach a bunch of kids and then come home to take care of my own kids solo on days when my wife is working her nursing shifts. But ultimately that's not the point of this post.
This post is about how kids can amaze you with their abilities at various stages of their lives. My oldest, who’s five and turning six in October, has always had a passion for Legos since he was about two and a half or three. I’ve been consistently impressed by his building skills and patience. As a reward for his hard work in piano and tennis, I got him a Lego set, well, a much cheaper knockoff version, but that’s a story for another time.
The set's guidelines indicate it's meant for ages 14 and up and includes 1,500 pieces with a Technic-style design. I thought it would be the perfect project for us to build together, but I was in for a surprise. As soon as I tried to help, he told me he wanted to do it himself and would ask for help if he needed it.
Technology Bricks aren’t quite as good as Legos, but they’re not terrible either.
So, here’s a question for everyone: Do you think he needs help, or do you think I should just sit back and watch him tackle it on his own?
If you answered that I should just sit back and watch him tackle it on his own, then you’re right, that’s basically what I did. I only stepped in a few times: once when he got stuck and a couple more times when he had trouble pushing the peg through because it didn’t fit perfectly.
What's surprising to me is that, at this age, kids usually don’t focus on things for very long. However, if they're really interested in something, they can concentrate for up to an hour or even two. The exception is technology, I've noticed that kids can get absorbed in screens for much longer than they probably should.
My kid started working on the set on Friday, and then on Saturday, he went to a swim class, had a blast, came back, showered, and then went straight back to the project. From 11:00 AM to 5:30 PM, he worked on it non-stop, only taking breaks to eat and occasionally chat or mess around with his brother. He dedicated over six hours straight to this set.
When the weather got really nice, he went outside to play for about an hour before dinner. I promise I didn’t keep him indoors working on this all day!
He didn’t quite finish it on Saturday, so he got up first thing Sunday morning at 6:15 a.m. and went right back to work. By about 7:00, he had completed the car mostly on his own. I was really proud of his ability to follow the not-so-great instructions and his focus. At the same time, I couldn’t help feeling a bit sad. why is he so independent before even turning six? I missed out on helping him with it.
That left me feeling both a little sad and incredibly proud. I had to remind myself that while he was able to focus and work so diligently on this project, something that really suits his personality, he still needs a lot of support in other areas. He loves playing the piano, tennis, climbing, and hiking, and he still needs help with those activities. Every child is different; some might need help with everything, while others might excel independently. It’s a reminder that we, as parents, are responsible for providing opportunities and letting them thrive in their own way.
So that was my weekend and why I wasn’t around, I was busy spending time with my kids. I didn’t mention my little one, but he was the one I interacted with the most during the week. Even though he’s only three, he’s been following in his brother’s footsteps, building cool structures and vehicles with Legos, magnetic blocks, and pretty much anything else he could find.