My son is 2 yrs 8 months old and he likes to carry around some of the same toys around with him. The weird thing is they're not stuffed animals, as an example yesterday he was holding a long slender Lego, carrying it wherever he went. He was, at times, pretending it was a phone and talking on it and also asking us to "text him." He will also carry around a little cannon that came with his pirate ship. He will sometimes pretend its a camera and take our picture. I'm happy he's pretending, but for the rest of the time he's not pretending with it he pretty much brings it wherever he goes around the house from thing to thing. Just now he was holding one of his cards from a matching game and I ask him what he's doing and he says "pay for gas" ( he sometimes pretends to pump gas) I know the pretending is good, but is it ok for him to be carrying these things around even when not pretending?
Totally normal. My youngest granddaughter was holding a little book up to her ear talking like it was a cell phone. They are just mirroring the things they see in the world and translating it to what they have. Nothing to worry about and pretty interesting to watch how their minds work.
Congrats, you have an awesomely imaginative kid. Totally normal!
Eventually he'll start hoarding random toys in his pockets, just because.
My 2.5 yr old is also obsessed with the canon from his pirate ship. In fact, it caused a huge fight with his brother this morning since they both wanted to be the one to hold it in the car on the way to school.
Whatever you do, do not! give him a cardboard box!! You will need a therapist!
Yes! It's not only good -- it's very good indeed! He is carrying his pretending with him when he carries these items. The fact that he turns one item into something it's not (like a Lego into a phone) tells me he's intelligent and creative. Please don't discourage him or tell him to put things down! This is not just OK, it's positive. I love that he is carrying a card around to "pay for gas" and is asking you to text him -- it means he is paying a LOT of attention to what you adults do and say. At age two, that's excellent.
My husband carried a toy truck everywhere as a child and even slept with it. My friend's son, now an older teen, carried characters and parts from a plastic pirate ship around with him (like your son!). It's typical and normal for a child to carry around a toy and even seem "obsessed" with it for a while -- but it's fine. You seem to feel that it would somehow be more appropriate or right if he were carrying a stuffed animal - you say it's "weird" that he's carrying something other than an animal. But there is no "should" about this-- let him be creative and "weird." Is someone else prompting you to worry about this? Maybe a grandparent or friend who thinks children should carry animals but not other stuff? Please tune that out.
Yes, it's fine. He's playing. He's not obsessed. Enjoy his imagination!
It's his version of dragging around a favorite teddy bear. I wouldn't worry overmuch about the motivations of a 2 yr old.
Sounds like a super smart kiddo to me :)
I don't see a problem.
Yes, little boys, are this way.
Cherish it.
They grow up SO fast!
All these little things, are special to them for whatever reason.
Too cute.
My son is 7 now, and he still does things like that.
There is NOTHING wrong, with your son doing that.
He is very NORMAL.
This is normal. He has a good imagination. Don't worry about it.
Absolutely normal and very intelligent. My son would fill his pockets with stuff. The more pockets the better. He's 19 now and still loves filling his pockets with stuff.
What he is doing is normal and on the smart side of the kid spectrum. He is using his imagination to imitate the things around him with the things he has. Awesome.
Ah,P., let him have his fun! He's almost three-- ALL of his life is pretend-time for him. He's fine. :)
It's a hell of a lot healthier than seeing a kid staring at mommy's phone every chance they get, IMO.
He has a good imagination that will serve him in the future.
Let him carry these things around. Soon he will go onto other things in his toy collection.
We as mothers all have things that our children love that get carried around for many years. I had one drag his teddy bear around and sewed felts noses on it for many years. The other had a blanket that got smaller as she carried it around.
It is part of childhood. Enjoy it as it goes by very quickly.
the other S.
PS They left the home after we moved and were settled in at our new location.
Please do yourself and your child a favor and read about child development. It will really help you to not worry about so much with your child. It is fine and perfectly normal (really sweet, too!) and not something for you to worry about. You need very much to understand that he is a little child, and not a small adult. Please study up on this so that you can better understand.
Yes it's okay. Sounds like he has a great imagination!
Great for such a young age.
He'll soon move on to other things.
Oh so totally normal! Both of my nieces at that age were carrying small purses. gloves, cellphones and fairy wands with them constantly. They wouldn't even leave the house without their toys! They were so cute.
As my mom always says about each new childhood phase, "this too shall pass!"
Have fun with his imagination! :)
What's weird about the toys not being stuffed animals?
Kids carry around and play with all kinds of things, dolls, dinosaurs, trucks, paper towel tubes, the remote control, an old shoe box, marbles, action figures, rocks, a spoon and a cup, the list is literally endless.
Maybe you just need to spend more time around young children, then you'll see how interesting and creative they can be.
