Why doesn't my kid like Lego

[neverregret]

My DS just doesn't like building anything, models, block or Lego. He doesn't mind drawing but everyone buys him these cool Lego sets and he just isn't interested. I wonder if a box of just the brick would be better or to just give up.

How old is he?

My 8yo has never really been fussed on Lego either, she will sit happily with a pen and paper for hours but building has never been her thing.

My eldest was the opposite!

He's 6, and he seems to be growing up too fast, hardly interested in toys. It's all computer games and anything on a computer.

Neither of mine are that fussed and we’ve had tonnes of it, they’re 10 and 5 now and dss is 11 and was never all that bothered either.

Some kids just aren’t into these things, I don’t see it as any different to not being into sports or drawing or dolls, I wouldn’t worry!

Well there is your answer. He opts for the computer game over the Lego. More limit on screen time and he'll have no choice but to find other stuff to do?
6 is still so young, loads of time for computers later.

Do you sit and play/build with him? He might be more interested if you all sit as a family to build the first few times? Model how to use the instructions but also how you can change and adapt the models in different ways. Or when he’s allowed a friend to play, let them tackle a kit together?

Dd didn't much as a kid either, she does now as an elder teen but only particular sets.
She likes the instructions and rule following and getting something amazing out of it.
Faffing around with a pile of the bricks did nothing for her.

@neverregret

He's 6, and he seems to be growing up too fast, hardly interested in toys. It's all computer games and anything on a computer.

Well the first problem is you introduced him to computer games before toys.

I'm an avid gamer - which is why I kept games as a special treat, just an hour every few days, and not at such a young age. They're too instant-gratification for very small children. Why focus on the effort of a toy and imagination when you can play games?

Restrict them to 30 mins, or 60 if you're feeling generous, at weekends, and encourage other forms of play.

Some kids aren’t. Ask people to get him drawing and painting stuff so he doesn’t spend too much time on screen?

My son is 6 and does really enjoy lego but he would definitely choose TV or gaming over it if given the choice. He has a room full of toys but he only really plays with them if he has a friend over. I think the answer is less screen time and sitting down to do it with him. I get my husband to do that because I just don't enjoy it so it's their bonding time!

We do have screen time limits, I'm really strict he has 4.30 -6pm on weekdays and 2 hours on weekend days. The other day we went to the park after school, so by the time we had done his reading he only had about 45 minutes. He can use that time to play something or watch something. He doesn't have a console, so it's only the little games I've downloaded, he's not a gamer .. yet. It's just he would like to be, I see it coming.

I loved Lego when I little, building lots of houses, but maybe as we didn't have it, so I only played with it at other peoples houses. It's so true that other people's toys are so much better.

My son was never into Lego, or anything practical or creative. He didn't play with figures either. He's sociable though, and used to love running around with a Nerf gun and he has a vivid imagination. Everyone is different! I felt guilty about it for a long tine but now just accept that he probably won't be an engineer.

4.30 to 6pm on weekdays is most of the time after school! I think that's a lot of screen time at age 6.

DS is younger (4.5), but only gets 30 mins of TV after tea, and no time playing games etc on tablets or computers at all - he doesn't really know that exists as a way to spend time and I plan to keep it that way. it's the same for all my nieces/nephews up to about age 8/9. My older two nieces/nephews have a Nintendo switch but I'm not sure they get more than about 30 minutes a day on it.

My DD always found the lego sets too prescriptive. She likes creative role play instead. All kids like different stuff just like adults. It's not a problem just steer people to other gifts if he doesn't like them.

How funny Nukeit
Thats what Dd likes about the sets!

Ds(17) loved duplo but never got into lego. We had boxes of Christmas presents that were never opened. He much preferred drawing and toy animals and dinosaurs, cars etc.

I think we introduced smaller lego too early and it turned him off it altogether. The sets following instructions would have been better left to when he was 8+

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland It really isn't. We get in at 3.15 after walking home. So he has 1 hour 15 minutes of chat/ snack/ reading/ words

Then screen time for 1 hour 30 minutes

Then dinner with the family and helps clear up so about 1 hour until 7pm

Bath, books bed to sleep at 8pm

So he has 4 hours 45 minutes of time after school before lights off. I think if most parents really are honest magic 30 minutes everyone on MN gives their kids to watch tv is more like 90 minutes too

Lego mindstorm is great for when he is a bit older. They can use code to programme their models. The snake one, is the thing that got DS into software engineering.

One of mine loved Lego, the other wasn’t fussed. Their brains are wired very differently. But they both love building worlds on minecraft, which is basically Lego on a screen. Does your son play minecraft?

Does he have much down time, where there isn’t anything to do. Eg ah the weekend does he get a whole morning on the house etc or are you quite busy as a family?

I find my children play better when they have to be inventive to fill their time or when they have to find something to do or be bored.

Maybe just leave some Lego available on the table when you have a morning when he’s doing nothing and see if he gravitates towards it. I like the loose Lego better because they can make whatever they want.

Having said that maybe it’s just not his cup of tea and he likes different types of toys.

My son love making Lego animations. Has he tried that?

Find something he does like (in addition to computer games). You can’t expect your DC to conform to boy stereotypes or be a clone of you.

You said he likes drawing, so get him art supplies, paint by number, or even those miniature soldiers people paint and use in wargames. Just show him what is out there and let him pick what he likes.

We get in at 3.15 after walking home. So he has 1 hour 15 minutes of chat/ snack/ reading/ words. Then screen time for 1 hour 30 minutes

But that's over half his time on a screen, and most of his free time before tea after time spent on reading/snack etc. He isnt spending any time playing because there's very little screen free time built in to your schedule.

I think if most parents really are honest magic 30 minutes everyone on MN gives their kids to watch tv is more like 90 minutes too grin
It really isn't. Not for 6 year olds.

I agree with @NoIDontWatchLoveIsland - 1.5 hours every day after school is quite a lot. A lot of people, including me, allow their children to watch max 30 mins a day after school, or even no screen time at all. I’m a primary school teacher and a lot of my pupils say they’re not allowed any screen time during the week.

That’s a lot of screen time. We don’t have any electronics or tv until 5.30pm. No computer games or iPads apart from 2 hours each day at weekend.

And yes to not pushing lego if it doesnt interest him. There are lots of other things? Does he like board games, drawing, train sets, playmobile etc?