woah...

[averygoodun42]

He has this school bus that's a great toy, except it makes noise. He figured out a few weeks ago that if you press down on the drivers seat it will say something ("My wheels are r-r-r-round (insert music to wheels of the bus here)" "My lights are br-br-br-bright!" "I'm r-r-r-really happy! (insert music to if you're happy and you know it here)" "My stop sign is r-r-r-red!"). Today, I just couldn't stand it anymore.

DH and I were listening to some music, and Babe started playing with the bus. After the first saying, I calmly went into the kitchen, retrieved the philips head screwdriver, returned to the living room, gently took the bus from Babe and set about removing the batteries. I sat on the couch, turned the bus upside down and unscrewed the battery case screw. I then took out one of the three batteries. I then replaced the cover, screwed the screw back in and gave the bus back to Babe, who was watching the entire process. Then I put the battery on the table on my way back to my seat.

Babe took the bus from me, but quickly followed me to the table, and (good gracious, but his reach is getting long!) grabbed the battery from the tabletop (about 8" from the edge), went back tot he bus, turned it over and placed the battery where the screwdriver goes.

DH and I looked at each other, impressed. On a whim, I decided to give Babe the screwdriver. (DH was right next to him the entire time, so don't scream too loudly about dangerous objects and such.) Babe took the screwdriver and immediately put it in the slot. It didn't take long before he had figured out how to turn it. Fortunately, he was turning it the wrong way, but if he had been using his left hand...

He tried to open up the bus for at least five minutes. Granted, some of the things he tried were not going to work, but he was so intent!

Is this normal for a 16-month-old? I know my brother was like this (opening a locked screen door with only a wooden spoon when he was 18-months-old), but...

I'm REALLY glad Babe is a good natured, well behaved kid. I don't think I'd survive if he had the adventurous streak my brother had.

Comments

[kismet0116.livejournal.com]

Heh, kids are such little sponges at that age. I have fun with my little nieces and nephews. They're such a scream, especially when they imitate mom and dad.

[averygoodun.livejournal.com]

Kids are little sponges, period! My 8-year-old nephew astonishes me with what he absorbs during the day. It's scary. Fun, but scary.

[muggle-prof.livejournal.com]

Mine 1) loved to play with tools and 2) loved to do anything the big people did, so yeah, I'd say it's normal. Mechanically inclined is good, too. He'll be useful around the house when he's older!.

[averygoodun.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah! Babe definitely wants to imitate the grown-ups. RIght now I'm fostering dreams of how Babe and I will build a kit-car when he's a teenager. Pipe dream, I know, but... =)

[gryffin23.livejournal.com]

Wow, smart kid. What a wonderful story.

[averygoodun.livejournal.com]

Thanks! It's kind of funny to think that for the first three or six months I was actually worried he might not be all that intelligent, even though everyone around me assured me otherwise. (Parenthood: a whole 'nother side to the word "sheesh.")

[beletseri.livejournal.com]

I think it is pretty neat that he focused for so long on trying to open the battery cover. I really wouldn't know if that is normal in a kid that age, but I would think a lot of kids might get tired pretty quickly when they do something and don't get any reward for it.

[averygoodun.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure either, but I am pretty sure he doesn't have an attention disorder. =)