My 25 yr old son, still likes toys and movies that are age appropriate for a toddler or small child. I say that, as it is not appropriate for a 25 yr old man to play with cars and airplanes, or to watch Disney movies.
Watching Buddy play with all of his favorite toys, I always thought of him as being “childlike”. But while sharing one of my many “Buddy Stories” with a co worker this week, my perspective changed.
If you set a neurotypical 25 yr old man alone in a room with Hot Wheels, how long would it take for him to start playing? 30 minutes…15….5??
How many grown women get excited when their little niece asks them to play Barbies? <raises hand>
Buddy will play with his Hot Wheels, and the retired Marine next door, just bought a ’67 Corvette…is that not a toy??
The only difference is that my neighbor can
1. afford and drive a Corvette and
2. he WILL play with Hot Wheels cars, if he thinks that no one is looking.
I think about all the dad’s with little boys, and how they always buy them the cool toys cars…how often do you think that the dad is secretly looking forward to playing with them…well, with their son AND the cars.
I flashback to a Christmas many years ago, my brother D. who was about 10, had gotten a Figure 8 Race Track. We played with that thing for hours upon hours during our childhood (he probably still has it). But we didn’t play with it on Christmas. On Christmas we sat on my bed and played with his new tape recorder (see, I told you it was a long time ago!) And the first recordings that we made, included the background yelling and cheering of our older brother R (he was about 20) and my father, as THEY played with D’s Figure 8 Race Track for HOURS upon hours.
So this all broadened my perspective, I have been enlightened, my son DOES play with age appropriate toys. And that tickles me!
~ASM