OT: Is watching same movie over and over normal for a toddler?

[MrsPooh]

All three of mine went through that. I just mentally block it out but it drives my dh crazy.

Right now we seem to be in an ok mode of switching Christmas movies but for months it was Barbie in the Nutcracker, then Cars and recently we went through two weeks of an old Care Bears video.

Right now my dd3 is totally fixated on one of those Christmas decorations where you push the button and it talks. Unfortunately my mil bought one that recites the entire Night Before Christmas story each time. It runs for longer than five minutes each time and she pushes the button over and over and over.

Little ones just love the repetition.

 

[yellownovawife]

This is so, so normal - he will get a new favourite soon enough - both my girls were like that. We now tease them about the different phases they went through. Such as the Little Mermaid Phase, Snow White Phase, Narnia Phase, Lion King Phase, Madeline Phase, etc... These phases are evident in our photo albums too because for weeks they played with toys from that movie or dressed up like characters from that movie and pretended to be in that movie. My youngest once told her gymnstics coach that she could not walk on the balance beam that day because she was a Ariel and she had a tail instead of feet! I suggested she be HUMAN ARIEL - feet - yes - talking - no!!!! They really laugh at that now! The worst one was a movie called Spirited Away that my daughter was absolutely obsessed with when she was about 7. It was so bizarre and weird! She still likes it and we all still think it's weird!

 

[jacksmomma]

That is totally normal. My brother literally wore out a Toy Story VHS tape because he watched it so much!

 

[Hannathy]

With DD 18 it was Lion King!!! She literally could recite the entire movie word for word. I called from work one Saturday and my DH said if he had to hear Lion King one more time he was ghoing to go crazy, I just started laughing hysterically and said welcome to my world!!! (I only worked part time weekends)

MY DS was Toy Story but he didn't seem to watch it quite as long or many repetitions as my DD, maybe a boy/girl thing?

 

[AliceinHalloweentown]

This is so, so normal - he will get a new favourite soon enough - both my girls were like that. We now tease them about the different phases they went through. Such as the Little Mermaid Phase, Snow White Phase, Narnia Phase, Lion King Phase, Madeline Phase, etc... These phases are evident in our photo albums too because for weeks they played with toys from that movie or dressed up like characters from that movie and pretended to be in that movie. My youngest once told her gymnstics coach that she could not walk on the balance beam that day because she was a Ariel and she had a tail instead of feet! I suggested she be HUMAN ARIEL - feet - yes - talking - no!!!! They really laugh at that now! The worst one was a movie called Spirited Away that my daughter was absolutely obsessed with when she was about 7. It was so bizarre and weird! She still likes it and we all still think it's weird!

Ooh I love Spirited Away! Miyazaki is a wonderful filmmaker <3

 

[Becky2005]

I believe this was the whole concept Blues Clues was based on. The same episode aired for a week when it was a brand-new show.

For that matter, my 6 year old still gets obsessed with different things -- Here's a combination for you -- right now he's obsessed with Power Rangers & Ariel. He has been obsessed with watching The Little Mermaid II & Ariel's beginning for at least the last week or so. He doesn't ever want to watch the original one though.

They pretty much all go through it -- for that matter I would say my 15 year old is Twilight obsessed.

 

[AliceinHalloweentown]

I believe this was the whole concept Blues Clues was based on. The same episode aired for a week when it was a brand-new show.

For that matter, my 6 year old still gets obsessed with different things -- Here's a combination for you -- right now he's obsessed with Power Rangers & Ariel. He has been obsessed with watching The Little Mermaid II & Ariel's beginning for at least the last week or so. He doesn't ever want to watch the original one though.

They pretty much all go through it -- for that matter I would say my 15 year old is Twilight obsessed.

Oh now that I pity you for!

 

[Becky2005]

The worst one was a movie called Spirited Away that my daughter was absolutely obsessed with when she was about 7. It was so bizarre and weird! She still likes it and we all still think it's weird!

I know it won awards, etc... but we had NO IDEA what the movie was & my DD had surgery this past March. The roommate's mom that was in the hospital with us put it in as she had no idea what it was either...All they had were the DVD's but no descriptions. I was half awake/half asleep watching it...My DD woke up at one point asked what we were watching & my answer was "A really bizarre movie" and she promptly fell back to sleep. I had to ask the other mom how it ended though as it was one of those movies that it was so weird but we just kept watching it (mostly because I think we kept waiting to see if it would improve) but since I fell asleep at one point & it was over when I woke up.

 

[princessbee]

This thread is reminding me of all the phases I had to go through with my siblings and the kids I babysat... my sister was obsessed with Pinocchio for MONTHS. It's my least favorite Disney movie but I've probably seen it around a hundred times. Same with Lilo & Stitch, and Little Mermaid, and Pocahontas... Almost every kid I know goes through some kind of television obsession where they watch the same things over and over again.

 

[Cinderella94]

So very normal. I did that (Winnie the Pooh), my brother did that (Thomas the Tank Engine), the little boy I babysit does that (Cars, Thomas the Tank Engine).

 

[MSSANDRA]

Completly normal but you still have to limit the amount of TV you allow. If they want to spend the whole 1/2 hour or whatever watching the same show, no biggie.

 

[Daddy_of_Princesses]

I think this is just normal behavior and it's the reason I have seen Cinderella about 100 times, same goes for Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, Monsters inc. Toy Story....

My obsession was/is Star Wars, but I wasn't a toddler. Even though I have the movie on VHS, the enhanced version on VHS, and again on DVD, I still will watch it when I find it on TV. My wife a daughters just roll their eyes.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

Yes it's normal. Preschoolers do things and learn things through repetition.

DS will ask to watch the movie that has ended again, right after the credits are over.

It doesn't hurt them and here soon you may hear him quoting the movie or singing along.

 

[Nicholfamily5]

YYYYYEEEEEESSSSSSSSS


My three year old would watch Toy Story 20 times a day if we let him.

Every single last present he is getting this year is Toy Story related. He was Buzz Lightyear for Halloween. He sleeps with his Buzz Lightyear doll.

So yes, completely normal. Just make sure you are limiting his TV each day. I know how easy it is to just plop them down to watch the favorite movie because they will be QUIET for an extended length of time.

 

[DawnM]

YES! We took a 12 hour trip when my older two were 3 and 1 and I brought enough movies for the entire trip. I needent have done that! They watched the same one over and over the entire trip (5 times or so!)

 

[RadioFanatic]

All I can say is "NEMO"! If it was up to my 22 month old, he would watch it ALL the time. I had to put it away because I couldn't stand it anymore. In fact, his grandparents, being grandparents , let him watch it THREE TIMES on saturday while DH and I were in NYC! I actually was happy because it lets me off the hook for at least a week because everytime he asks, I tell him he just watched it alot - thanks grandparents!

 

[RadioFanatic]

He is in daycare FT though with no TV and plays extremely well independently, so we let him watch TV and veg a little at night since he is so active/busy at school. We just get used to watching the same things over and over and over

I could have written this myself because DH and I feel the same way.

 

[DVCLiz]

Both of my daughters had movie obsessions when they were little. With DD21, it was Dumbo. "See Dumbo now?" was a constant refrain in my house. With DD16, I at least got to change movies - "Mama, see Hontas?"

I could quote almost all of the Dumbo and Pocohantas movies in those days!!!

 

[2DisPrincesses]

My DD4 went throught the same phase. Actually, she still will get on a movie kick. Now rather than wanting to watch the same movie/show over and over, she will watch it once, but want to watch the same thing for days. Then all of a sudden she will be on to a new movie/show and it will be that one everyday for days.

 

[DisneyMOM09]

Totally normal! We have been on the Little Mermaid, Ariel's Beginning which we dvr'd when it was on Disney channel a few weeks ago. DD3 watched it everyday(several times a day), until one day we woke up and found that daddy had erased it. Not a good day. My DD also wants to watch her shows over, so if curious george is on I immediately dvr it so that she can watch it again right after the first showing goes off. This week we are watching Barbie and The three Muskateers. Can't wait for Christmas so we can see a new movie. We got her UP so hopefully we'll enjoy that one for a few weeks!