One trait we've always noticed in Isaac is that he has a one track mind. Sometimes this is good and sometimes not. I believe I've already told you about his books only, blocks only, and trains only phases. Or that we went to the dinosaur museum in March and for three months straight he's been asking daily to go back. Luckily, he is a lot more varied today, but he still manages to have an intense attention span for interests he gets stuck on. Yesterday, we had play group at our house and toward the end Isaac brought out his mini construction trucks to play with since he had been playing with them that morning before everyone got there. Well, the older boys and Isaac decided to build roads in the sand box with the trucks. Isaac was fixated. He stayed in the sandbox long after everyone left, came in for lunch and rest time, and went directly back out to the sandbox to make more roads. I had to bribe him inside to go pick up Andrew from work (we are a one car family). We got home and he was right back at it. This morning he drank his coconut milk really fast and said that he didn't want breakfast, he wanted to go out in the sandbox with his trucks- where he is still playing right now. "No time for breakfast, mom. I got a job to finish! Could ya pack me a lunch and thermos of joe-black. Eh, maybe a little agave nectar in it? Thanks, you're a doll." He kisses me on the cheek and strides out the door sporting his work boots and hard hat. Ok, I made that last part up.
I wonder how long this phase will last. I also wonder how this one track-ness will work for him as he gets older. We already know it to sometimes be a problem in school. He will get stuck on an activity and not want to transition to others. However, I wonder if by the time he's old enough to decide what he wants to do in life if this trait will serve him well. I have to say that I almost envy his ability to focus on one thing for so long. The only thing I've managed to stick with for any length of time is cleaning houses for other people, and I even quit that in the middle for a little while. I have yet to decide what I want to be when I grow up, not for a lack of interests- rather the opposite. I fear I will invest in something only to quit it along the way which has been my trend thus far in education and hobbies. I wonder if there is such a thing as a professional dabbler? And can I make money doing that? Maybe if I hang around Isaac a little longer I will catch some of his focus. That's a good enough plan for me, for now.
No comments:
Post a Comment