Destructive son.....why?

[chrissyk]

Sounds like an engineer in the making Does your son have science sets, Legos and erector sets that he can play with? My guess is that he is just taking things apart to see how they work. Most engineers that I know can probably relate to destroying a few toys (and other things!) at one time or another. Trust me...the toys are just the beginning. As we get older, the things that we take apart for the heck of it are just bigger and more expensive

 

[shortbun]

That's exactly what I was thinking......my cousin always took everything apart when he was a kid

Yeah, get this kid some old computers, radios, phones-anything he is allowed to take apart. Get him tools to do it; screwdrivers, pliers, safety glasses and gloves. This is what he LIKES to do. Nurture this talent in him and help him take things apart. Do it right away. He's shown you where his interests lie, old machines like can openers, stereos that don't work, old toys that other kids can't play with anymore. Why drive yourselves crazy trying to stop him from doing what he likes to do-get him the proper stuff to do it.

I also really think you should try not to make him think there is something wrong with him. He's 8 and boys really internalize. Talk to your pediatrician and in the meantime, protect his toys but not as a punishment. Let him know that life is a journey, eveyone is different and this is something the whole family will help with. Also, don't spend gobs of money on toys for now.

btw, our legos are always all mixed up. It doesn't keep things from being built if you have the instructions put aside somewhere. Get some little bags at a craft store and have him sort them in some way-color, style,size. I even bought a big tackle box for them with lots of little trays.

 

[Nite0wl71]

When my brother was little he drove everyone crazy with destroying things. He would run around with a screw driver taking everything apart. We had to hide our toys, his favorite thing was unscrewing all the door knobs

Today he has pretty much single handedly re-modeled his whole house. He has knocked out walls (inside and outside ones), built bedrooms, bathrooms, a deck, a garage and now is working on a new laundry room. He should have went into construction, but he works in an office. His 2nd DD is just like him.