About comments regarding my 12 year old son and lego

[Everythingnotsaved]

My 12 year old still loves Lego especially Star Wars and Ninjago etc. He had a large Star Wars ship for Xmas & still plays with it, reads Lego books etc.

My mother things he’s too old for it (although she hasn’t specified what she thinks he should be doing at 12)

I always thought Lego was for any age to be honest and would rather he played with Lego than spend hours on a screen....


Aibu? What should 12 year olds be doing?!

[1forAll74]

LEGO is fantastic for all ages. I am very surprised that your Mother would say such a thing. Its much better than children on screens all the time, it's quite pitiful to see so many children glued to screens, and not communicating with family etc.

[WisestIsShe]

She is being ridiculous. My 12yo loves to draw and colour.

[TitchyP]

I've had Lego for birthday and Christmas presents very recently. I'm nearing 50.
She is being VVVVU. Ask what she would rather he does in his spare time?

[Leaannb]

I’m very close to 50 and still play with legos. I just got the Death Star for Christmas. Tell your mother to stay in her lane

[Strategicchoring]

I can't bear the attitude where children "should" not be playing with X toys at Y age. It's so ridiculous! Children are all different, mature differently, some have expansive imaginations and are very creative, others do not, some are sporty and like the outdoors, some not so much. My dd was still playing with horse-related Playmobil at 13 yrs; she was making complicated models of stables and dressag arenas, show-jumping courses with stands and elaborate backdrops , all with a glue gun and lolly sticks & corrugated cardboard, and paint. They were ace! . She didn't really have the skills and dexterity to start doing that independently until she was about ten/11 years and yet we are told that's the age when Playmobil should have been shelved. It depends on how you play with it though!

[HoppyHop]

My 3 had Lego for Christmas! 18, 16 & 13. It's the only thing they still do together (& why I still buy it!!).

[Ormally]

See if you can find the Lego Masters programmes if they're available on some kind of media storage, if you didn't see them. They were amazing and, not least, showed that a team of 40 year olds didn't necessarily have the edge over a team of 8 year olds or 21 year olds when given different building projects and unlimited lego (the 21 year olds were also very talented Cambridge undergraduates in an engineering field, I think).
Don't listen to discouragement at that age, lego is way more creative and potential-laden than many other 'things he could be doing' and I would be trying to keep that alive for as long as possible as school focus may narrow this area a bit.

[CoisFarraige]

I have a 16 year old who still pulls out the Lego and makes amazing Technic cars with steering, suspension etc. Particularly during summer hols when I hide the screens

[AllideasAndNoAction]

I’d be delighted that a 12 year old was playing with something as fantastically creative and mathematical as Lego instead of glued to a screen. Perhaps he’ll be an architect or an engineer or a product designer. No one of any age should ever be discouraged from doing something so enriching. Tell your mother she’s a small indeed twit.

[AllideasAndNoAction]

Small minded!

[AtomicRabbit]

Show her some YouTube lego enthusiasts. This love lasts a life-time.

Your DM is out of touch!

[GrumpyHoonMain]

Lego isn’t really a toy in the traditional sense. It’s a building material - so there isn’t really an age limit

[MAFIL]

You might want to direct your Mum to the First Lego League website so she can see what youngsters all round the world are achieving with Lego. Strangely, a lot of big STEM related companies are very interested in this competition and have invested money in sponsorship. Could it be that they see this as something that helps the next generation of scientists and engineers develop?

[Brunts12]

Whaaat, your mum is definitely being unreasonable! Lego is mint!

[chocolateandpinkgin]

Well I got Lego for Christmas and I'm 33 so no, I don't think he's too old for it. My kids (11 and 8) both got Lego for Christmas too. How can you be too old for it?!

[Riddleofthesands]

Ignore your mother.

My 16 yr old DS makes Star Wars Lego or any Lego, my DD 13 makes H Potter Lego, my DHs colleague (lawyer in her 40s) makes Lego (talks to our 16 yr old about it). The last two Sky engineers who came to our house and the BT guy all men in their 20s and 30s make Lego and were getting Lego for b’days etc (we have a massive Star Wars set on the landing which is why the topic came up).

It’s great your DS is into Lego!

[isitpossibleto]

Smile. Nod. Carry on as you are

[Zoecarter]

My husband age 34 loves Lego. I hope my 18 Month old loves it too as they can spend hrs together playing with it xx

[Riddleofthesands]

MAFIL great point!

[InOtterNews]

I'm 43...never too old for Lego

[Lovemusic33]

I have a couple Lego sets and I’m almost 38, the box say age 1-99 😁, Lego is for everyone.

My daughter is almost 14 and got the Lego London bus for Christmas as he main gift, she still loves Lego and hopefully will continue to do so. It’s a great toy that teaches many skills.

[MaidenMotherCrone]

I'm 51 and had the Night Bus for Christmas.

Your mother is an idiot.

[HemlockStarglimmer]

I got Lego for Christmas. I'm 58.

[5foot5]

My DS is 19 and still likes to build Lego. He was contemplating whether or not he wanted one of the Stranger Things sets for Christmas.

@starfleet There is a Stranger Things Lego? Why didn't I know this!?

I got DH the Lego Apollo 11 Lunar Module for Christmas (he is 62). Last year he got me Tower Bridge (I am 57)

The OP's Mum just isn't living in the real world.

[andyjusthangingaround]

I am with the PPs. I LOVE a good lego - slightly decades over 12