Can you reassure or inspire me?

**grindal** · 15-10-2009, 12:27 PM

I look after a 12 month old mindee. He is a very happy and independent little boy who loves cars. He wheels one of them around the house and I think would do this happily all day long if I let him. We go out to toddler groups 3 times a week and he wheels cars along there as well. I have tried a variety of ideas around cars - car tracks in paint, hiding cars, cars rolling down cardboard tubes,getting out lots of different cars, train sets, a big road map, we have a garage- but all he wants is the same big red car to push around. I have also tried doing some non car based things with him - he shows no interest at all. he will happily eat any bits of paper, card or glue that go anywhere near him -and will sit quite happily in the high chair until I get him out then he crawls over to the red car and starts pushing it around the house again. If I try to do any sort of activity without him being in the high chair he will crawl away and grab the big red car and wheel it around the house. Bearing in mind I should be focussing on what he wants to do, does anyone have any suggestions? Shall I just keep offering other things but let him go where he wants with the car? I do have loads of other toys in the house and they are all really accessible he just only seems to be interested in the car

**cuffleygirl** · 15-10-2009, 12:47 PM

If playing with this car obviously makes him happy - I would not worry too much.

Although it is rather dull and repetitive for you and how many obs can you do one car!

If you continue to offer choice, he may park the red car beside the bricks and built a garage for it and eventually become less dependent on it. Is it he comfort activity? not that there is anything wrong in that. You never know he may grow up and become a racing driver (red cars only)

**madasahatter** · 15-10-2009, 01:02 PM

It's a phase, just continue doing what you are doing making sure there are other alternative opportunities he can explore if he chooses to. I know that when I've had a child that seems to play with only one toy it makes me feel a bit inadequate, particularly when there's nothing much to write in their daily diary except 'played with red car'. You can't help wondering what the parents think when they read it, however the chances are that if he is 'obsessive' about a single toy at your house he's probably the same at home too.

**grindal** · 15-10-2009, 01:08 PM

Thank you both - I have to admit I am getting a bit bored of the big red car now, and do feel more than a bit inadequate. I sat with DS1 and 2 today and did some cutting and sticking with them as mindee crawled around the house with the big red car

.Yesterday i sat him in the highchair and tried to encourage him to do a bit of a diwali card - but he was only interested in chewing the paper. I suppose that is his way of exploring texture but I have never known a child to chew quite so vigorously. This morning he had a break from pushing the car around for long enough to chew the corner off a poster - then went straight back to the car

**sarah707** · 15-10-2009, 01:38 PM

It sounds like he is having great fun with the car and you are meeting his nutritional needs with the paper!

Some children do go through phases like this and it sounds like you are offering a wealth of other activities.

He's only 1 though give him time, he'll be walking around and driving you potty in no time at all!

**grindal** · 15-10-2009, 02:51 PM

Originally Posted by sarah707

It sounds like he is having great fun with the car and you are meeting his nutritional needs with the paper!

Some children do go through phases like this and it sounds like you are offering a wealth of other activities.

He's only 1 though give him time, he'll be walking around and driving you potty in no time at all!

I do give him meals as well - honest

**uf353432** · 15-10-2009, 04:48 PM

you could always remove the red car one morning and see what he plays with? out of sight out of mind?

I had a 4 yr old who ONLY wanted to do box modelling. This went on for weeks and weeks, one day I said we didn't have any sellotape or boxes, and he needed to find another toy, and slowly as the weeks went on he started to play with more and more and more toys. When I offered box modelling later he said no

I know this example is for an older child - but I do think kids become attached to certain toys - and if they were not there for a period of time they may transfer that to something else long enough to break the spell they seem to be under

**grindal** · 15-10-2009, 05:00 PM

Originally Posted by uf353432

you could always remove the red car one morning and see what he plays with? out of sight out of mind?

I had a 4 yr old who ONLY wanted to do box modelling. This went on for weeks and weeks, one day I said we didn't have any sellotape or boxes, and he needed to find another toy, and slowly as the weeks went on he started to play with more and more and more toys. When I offered box modelling later he said no

I know this example is for an older child - but I do think kids become attached to certain toys - and if they were not there for a period of time they may transfer that to something else long enough to break the spell they seem to be under

I did try this the other day, but it sent my 3 year old into a frenzy - he was running around the house shouting that we had to find Cs favourite toy. Also, if C cant find his favourite red car he transfers his affections to another car - and i cant hide all of them!!

**The Juggler** · 16-10-2009, 01:22 PM

let him get on with it. when children are satisfied with what they are trying to learn, they will move on. whatever the car is giving him it's obviously a great resource for this child!

Don't worry about it, maybe give him things to do with it, boxes to roll it on, under and in etc.

**Louise_Oaktree** · 18-10-2009, 09:20 PM

Phew...I thought it was just me

my 1 year old is fascinated with anything he can put around his neck

toy snake
pretend tape measure
dressing up bags
stethoscope from doctors kit

...I'm running out of ideas and worrying about feeding his desire to potentially strangle himself

Sorry to hijack but I'm struggling too with obs and planning even having just been on a 3 hour training session!