Read, Watch, Play, Listen

I hold zero degrees in evolutionary biology or child psychology. But I’d guess that, somewhere, buried deep down in the synapses of a developing brain, there must exist an overwhelming bias towards seeking out the familiar.

I’ve found that when my kids get hooked on a book, a movie, a TV show, a song, etc., they might eventually tire of it of their own accord, but if I try to nudge them along to something new before some natural expiration date, my attempts will be met with outrage at the sheer audacity that I’d deprive my child of their 22nd listen, or 12th view of the older, more familiar book / movie / TV show / song.

(The effects of their verbal abuse are often compounded further by nostalgic pangs of regret, when I realize that my kids finally took my suggestion to try the new thing, and that I now, weirdly, miss the old book / movie / TV show / song and wish we could go back to it.)

So when your kid gets obsessed with reading a book, listening to a song, playing a game, or watching a movie or TV show … write a note about what it is, so you’ll both remember. Far from being frivolous obsessions with media, I find these attachments to be charming little time-capsular glimpses into what they found fun, or interesting, or otherwise captivating at that age.

While stuck in that phase, you might dread the third reading of “The Three Little Pigs” that evening, but it’s possible you’ll be be surprised looking back, after they’ve moved on to something else, how much you actually miss it.