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.

The only time my 4.5 year goes on a tablet at all is if we are on a long car journey. I don't think that's that unusual. He has never been on any game apps etc at all and I don't think his friends have as they dont talk about them.

I tried to get my DD into Lego, bought loads of sets as I love stuff like that, and she just wasn't that interested. So I stopped bothering - they are who they are!

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland well my DS has a number of apps for school that they set homework on, two maths ones, reading books online, Khan Academy the school subscribes for them. He's used things in the past like teach your monster to read, Alphablocks etc. It's not all evil out there.

Weekends aren't scheduled. We do different things each week.

@Moonlaserbearwolf He does play Minecraft in creative mode yes. He loves it, but probably only plays about half the time he has, it's quiet when he's on there, so I can tell when he comes off. He would rather play on that or other games apps on his iPad than watch Tv. He has the choice, kids youtube and kids iplayer but he prefers games. He even does puzzle ones and word searches. He also loves doing his homework on the apps.

Mix all the Lego together. The sets are nice but not very creative. My DC have more fun making their own stuff up.

Well all kids are different. I have one that hates play doh and slime but most kids seem to love both of those!

Neither of my two are fussed about Lego. I think the modern sets are too specific and restrictive. My youngest just loves Playmobil though.

DS12 loves Lego and is very creative with it. We've had Lego guns which fire loom bands, Lego infinity cubes, trick boxes where you have to progress through multiple steps to find the hidden 'treasure', cars modelled on whatever his current favourite is. He has been like this for years.

We're lucky if DS8 puts a mini figure together. Zero interest. He's just not into construction. I've sat on the floor and built stuff with him and he likes that, but I think it's more to do with the one on one attention, rather than any particular interest in Lego.

That's too much screen time for a 6 year old, it really is. I've done it too so I'm not being all high and mighty but I see the difference in my children when I limit it to a half hour or better yet even none. They play so so much better. So much more creative and engaged in what they're doing. It's very hard not to reach for the remote to keep them quiet but it's really worth it. Try it for one week and see if you notice a difference.

Kids do love games because the combination of screens & games is extremely addictive.

Lots of successful businesses are starting to exploit the addictive nature of games by gamifying products and experiences - peloton being a good example. Screen games trigger reward centres in our brains that cause release of dopamine which feels good. We get addicted to the feeling and because we dont get the same feeling from other activitie, we tend more and more to turn to screens.

Oh and I would be complaining to the school setting all an infant child's homework on screen based apps.

Is he colour blind? My DS is and doesnt like Lego or puzzles as I think it's harder for him to distinguish all the tiny parts.

Fairly young for Lego yet, but agree the computer games will win out so you might need to limit that if you want him to do other stuff.

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland

Oh and I would be complaining to the school setting all an infant child's homework on screen based apps.

Seeing as many schools got these apps for home schooling, they may as well continue using them.

OP... Find out what he wants to play with. But Lego is just one of many toyd

The amount of screen time is crazy!

Mine are 5, 7 and 9. Then get no screen time in the week (and done ask for it) they play Lego, make dens, trampoline, drawing, Pokemon, basketball in the garden, read magazine etc etc.

90 mins a day and 120 mins on weekends is nearly TWELVE HOURS of screen time a week. Absolutely huge!

Everyone is telling you this and you don’t want to hear it but seriously, drop the screen time.

That's a huge amount of screen time! I have a six year old and she plays computer games on my phone maybe for an hour at the weekend and no every week, and she does her maths app for about ten minutes each evening. The amount of screen time is your answer - your son doesn't have time to play with Lego!

Agree that's a lot of screen time

*@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 *

But it's pretty much 100% of his spare time. Of course he will choose screen over toys. I'm more relaxed than most but still think this is far too much. Even my 11 year old doesn't sit for that long in the week on a device and my 8 year old rarely uses a screen in the week, and never for that long in one go

Agreed it’s a lot of screen time. My nearly 6 year old has 30mins max if at all.
She loved playing with Lego and other toys and will often play by herself for an hour or more after school. I think he doesn’t have time to play. Start by reducing screentime and start building things with him. Can he have playdates from next week?

My DS never liked Lego or Lincoln Logs or anything in the building area.
But he loved Thomas The Tank Engine and laid so many train tracks around and over and under and through that you could barely get into his room. He played with them until he was about 11 but he still has then packed up in his closet and I think gets them out sometimes. He calls them "his collection".

I dont really limit screen time . I know plenty of families that do, and plenty that don't. My 6 (nearly 7) year old loves lego and has since he was tiny, loves building sets and playing with mini figures, he also loves reading, drawing, building dens, dressing up, making up plays, my 9 year old has never been fussed, she likes her teddies, playing in the garden, chasing her brothers around, baking, slime. Kids are all different.

None of my 3 kids liked Lego, too small and fiddly, however they did play with the larger blocks. I think Lego is very expensive and overrated.

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland

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.

Oh stop, you parent your kids however you want without lecturing others on how to parent theirs!

My two love Lego but they would choose a screen instead. We don't allow any screen time apart from homework during the week. This helps them play outside or toys.

I dont really limit screen time

But it sounds like you don't need to. I actually don't either as dd will usually choose playing outside or with toys but I absolutely would if she was spending that long every night.