If you have an teenage child now…

[chickenwings2]

Has their play choices when young impacted them in the future?

eg

did your child recreate swamps and animal dioramas when young and then become a zookeeper 😂

I don’t think there are very many teenage zookeepers tbh.

I’m not sure about why you’re asking the question but my DS was always very into imaginative play and drawing all sorts of things - and now as an older teenager still loves making up games to get people involved with and does a lot of creative writing. The dinosaur and marine animal small world play he did as a toddler aren’t especially evident but the creativity and storytelling is.

My DD on other hand wasn’t ever bothered about small world play but did like making things in Lego and creating physical games, also crochet for a bit etc…. She is now a serious sportsperson - and also the one of my kids who reads loads and has self taught piano to quite a high standard. She is much more of a doer.

Not sure this tells you much!

Well, mine are in their 20s, but none of their jobs could in any way have been predicted by what they played with / the way they played as small dc, no.

No

Yes. She stopped playing with toys by about aged 5. Hated playing at school. Thought it was a waste of time when she could be doing proper lessons. She has an academic high powered job.

DS was always more interested in books than toys and now works in publishing…

My DS was a climber! He always wanted to be up high, could go up and down stairs safely before he could walk, loved climbing trees etc. Now he's a slug who spends as much time in his bed as possible and wants to work in IT or finance.

I realised recently that a childhood love of Lego leads to a child who enjoys putting IKEA furniture together which is useful! I do think you can still see the child in the teenager - mine still enjoy board games and creative tasks, just more grown-up ones. DS’s love of dolls and imaginative games has become an interest in D&D which is interesting.

DS3 did a lot of drawing as a small child (unlike his older brothers) and is off to do an art related degree soon.
He really loved playing with toy farm animals when he was little but hasn’t shown any desire to be a farmer.
DS1 was very into toy vehicles - and looking at real ones. Not at all interested in vehicles now - early 20’s but not learned to drive yet.

Not really. DS(17) wants to be a biochemist. He had a kids microscope, but didn’t really play with it.
He mostly played with diggers and Lego. Although he loved the 1 x 1 Lego pieces and the studs. Maybe a precursor to building things with atoms and molecules.

I've not got children of my own but my sibling had a child who loved playing with mud and splodging it all over walls (luckily outside walls! ) ... now he's a plasterer ... and a very good one 😂

My DD was always collecting woods, rocks, digging ponds , creating habitats. She’s now 16 and still does this - stick insect habitats , 2 aquariums, still a half dug pond in the garden (where we moved 3 years ago) and wants to study plant science or something in that direction.

My brother played most with a Playmobil tv set as a child and is now a tv producer.

lol so silly of me I didn’t realise how I worded it ofc there isn’t any teenage zookeepers 🫣 I meant just has their childhood play translated into their teenage or young adult choices etc

One of mine always role played with animals. His Playmobil zoo was his absolute favourite thing. He is now a manager in clothing retail. Nothing animal related at all.
The other always liked building and working with his hands. He's doing a joinery apprenticeship.
So a 50% connection to what they played with as kids?

One always cared what she wore from as early as she could express a preference. Other child didn’t care one way or the other.

Clothes loving one is still super stylish at 18 constantly model scouted and planning a degree in fashion. One teacher expressed concern she was narrowing too early as is quite academic but I don’t share that concern. It’s always been her passion.

yeah that, can't see any connection.

Not at all. My dd was so sweet when she was younger, used to play for hours with barbies and those lol dolls. She could sit and draw lovely pictures. She used to line up her toys and everything had it's place and was tidy. Now she's a 14 year old slob, she hated doing art at secondary, her rooms a shit hole and she just talks about boys all the time. Although saying that she was always into athletics and still does it now but is again less enthusiastic than she used to be. Teens are generally quite selfish and lazy in my experience. I think kids won't know what they want to be until they are a lot older and got their teenage angst out the way!

DS1 was obsessed with keys when he was little, so we were hoping for a locksmith. Alas, he is training to be a vet.

My daughter was always into doing her dolls hair and makeup, and is now a beautician. But I think that’s probably normal for most little girls.

Not really - son (15) loves video games, albeit he only started playing them regularly aged 12+ but no interest into going into IT/game design (or in shooting people!) but he does want to be a zookeeper! When younger he didn't get very attached to toys except soft toys (I suppose you might say the zoo thing comes from that) and toy swords

Oldest did like fact-y books a lot and wants to work in museums - about to go to university to study anthropology. Again, didn't really like toys, was more about imaginative play, doodling, making ugly objects from cardboard and string 😉

DS1: obsessed with history - Romans/Egyptians etc from 3 or 4, then Horrible Histories. Now at Oxford reading history.

DS2- Loved Hello Kitty, Sylvanian Families and anything pink and singing/dancing/dressing as Elsa. Hoping to do economics next year, so not so much!

No. 5 kids. Almost nothing, and actually counterfactual. The ones that I expected might do X, didn't.

Ha ha this is true, but I also think it’s good therapy for anxiety
my DS and I love building flat pack, I also love sewing
it’s something about having to concentrate, follow instructions, actually creating something

it really soothes anxiety

Sort of - DD1 always kept fish from 5 years old - now finishing Biology/Marine Biology degree. DD2 and DD3 always liked plants, gardening and quite sciencey activities. They are doing Earth Science and Geography and Earth Science and Law. But they are also very artistic and this has been left behind.

DS always went straight to the computer when he started at nursery at three, he’d turn it on and “help” fix it if it didn’t work. He’s now studying software engineering at Uni so I guess so!

This really tickled me 🤣