How I learned to live with a car-obsessed boy!
Turning Intense Interest into fun activities
Cars. Cars. Cars. 🚗
So Yajur’s first word was (no prize for guessing) — CAR. I should have read the signs right then, but it took me a while to understand that this interest was not going to change for a while.
I knew boys liked cars, but I dint know I would be victim to living with a ‘car-obsessed’ boy! Many parents tell me their sons also loved cars growing up, but when they hear the extent of ‘love’ my little boy has with cars their faces alternate between surprise & shock! I even googled about this obsession to check if its normal or if I am just hyping it up in my head and then I discovered the phrase ‘intense interest’ — It usually occurs between 2–4 years for Kids and may (hopefully) decrease once they start school and see other kids having other interests.
Many parents tell me it’s a phase, so as usual, like all other ‘phases of parenthood’ I am embracing and dealing with it. And to make it more fun for me (coz I DO NOT have any interest in cars) I found different ways to enjoy this obsession.
I have seen my nephew grow up learning flags of various countries by driving his car on the world map — so I knew I could turn this obsession into some fun activities & learning too. If your little one also loves cars as much, this blog will give you some ideas; else just read it and you will know what I go through every single day! 😋
We made fun flashcards to learn logos
Owing to spending hours in parking lots, we ended up having tonnes of pictures with different cars and I printed them out to use as flashcards during mealtime & travel time to keep him entertained. Today he can recognize more than 20 Car logos from a distance and weirdly that makes me proud! 😇
We learned parts of the car
Guess who knew the parts of the car before knowing the parts of the human body? Mr. Yajur Kashyap at 2 years could tell you if you turned on the Hazard Light or put on the Indicator, by analyzing the situation or just listening to the sound!
We ate meals quicker
The car in our parking lot is almost never locked. Because we have our morning milk, snacks, and meals inside. I would normally complain about sitting in a cooped-up car when I could chill in front of the TV, but the car meals are faster than using screen time as a distraction and that’s all a tired mom is looking forward to — a quick meal.
We made up stories that could stretch for hours
Storytelling improves the imagination of kids and it's a lovely way to bond with them. I have narrated car stories for the entire duration of a meal (in our case 1.5 hours) loooong journeys and during numerous bedtime routines. And every time you run out of an idea, the car just turns around, and there at the bend you see — a forest, a beach, a mountain, a farm, a school, a palace; where a unicorn is waiting for you! And the story continues……
We learned numbers and how they make sense together
My little boy did not learn 1,2,3,4,5 …. he learned 8, 6, 5, and 9 — As these are the numbers of his Appa’s car. And with time, he has learned to put the numbers in the right order to identify them as a car that belongs to someone. All at the age of 2.5 Years 🤓
We learned directions
For someone like me whose weakness is learning routes & directions, it seemed crazy expecting a 2-year-old to understand this. But little Y took to it well. He first learned ‘Right’ & ‘Left’ thanks to the location of the driving seat in the car and now knows which side he needs to turn to get home from the main road! And his maneuvering skills in his little car are driving goals for many out there! There is hope maybe for me to become better too! 😅
We learned to buy only the toys we need
‘Amma I have a BMW, so buy me the Audi’ — This is what he says when we are at a toy store and I’m feeling generous to buy that shiny new car. It makes so much sense not to want more of what you already have right? However, there’s always a place for another car! 😛
We made it easy for people to buy gifts
When you know what a child likes it makes it so much easier to pick a gift for her/him right? Yajur has made it super simple for everyone around him — although specifying the logos he already has! Here’s what he go for Christmas this year from his Santa grandma (Sri Pati) 👇
Growing up, I knew cars as big or small, and understood their colours. Nothing more interested me. But now, I first look at the logo, then if it has a spoiler or a sunroof, would it be deisel/petrol or electric, is it automatic or geared, what material the inside seats are made of, whether the indicator is on the right or left and so much more 😅
I have learned. I have learned to live with a car lover. 🙌🏻
Originally published at https://yajurchronicles.com.
