{"id":55225,"date":"2020-03-05T01:17:25","date_gmt":"2020-03-05T01:17:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.babyhealthandcare.com\/again-again-why-your-kid-wants-to-do-the-same-activity-over-and-over\/"},"modified":"2020-03-05T01:17:25","modified_gmt":"2020-03-05T01:17:25","slug":"again-again-why-your-kid-wants-to-do-the-same-activity-over-and-over","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.babyhealthandcare.com\/de\/again-again-why-your-kid-wants-to-do-the-same-activity-over-and-over\/","title":{"rendered":"Again, again! Why your kid wants to do the same activity over and over"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Cheri Bojcic\u2019s four-year-old, Elana, has a favourite book<\/strong>: Fidgety Fish<\/em>. She loves the quirky sea creatures, the colourful pictures, the engaging story. She\u2019s memorized most of the words. When Fidgety swishes through the water, mom and daughter wiggle too. Luckily, Fidgety Fish<\/em> is such a likeable book. Bojcic, of Chilliwack, BC, has had to read it to Elana a few times. Make that a few hundred<\/em> times.<\/p>\n

Mostly, we\u2019re thrilled if a child wants an encore of a book or fingerplay. It means we\u2019re doing something right, introducing her to the world of stories, words, rhythms. Still, after the 83rd time through, we may not feel quite so enthusiastic.<\/p>

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What\u2019s the appeal of wanting to experience something again and again? It\u2019s human nature to repeat things we enjoy. And it contributes to a child\u2019s sense of security, says Catherine Lee, a University of Ottawa psychology professor and president-elect of the Canadian Psychological Association. \u201cWe are comforted by being able to predict the world.\u201d (It works in similar ways for older kids too. You may have seen your preteen stomp to her room after a hard day at school<\/strong> so she can listen to a favourite piece of music over and over or watch High School Musical<\/em>, again.)<\/p>\n

Karin Borland, administrative coordinator of youth services at the Winnipeg Public Library, adds, \u201cChildren delight in repetition because whatever the activity is, it becomes a part of their memory and they learn to anticipate the details of the story, film or fingerplay\u2014that\u2019s fun. When they know what\u2019s coming, they\u2019re the master of that activity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Your toddler or preschooler loves the exciting ending of a nursery rhyme<\/strong> or the drop through your legs at the end of a knee bounce. But the shriek of delight isn\u2019t because she\u2019s surprised; it\u2019s because she knows what\u2019s coming, explains Borland. \u201cWhat\u2019s peekaboo if you only say it once? It\u2019s nothing. The excitement builds because the child is thinking about what comes next.\u201d<\/p>\n

Repetition is the foundation of many aspects of learning, says Judith Wright, a literacy specialist with the Ontario Early Years Centres in London, Ont., and co-director of the London Suzuki Music Centre. \u201cA baby needs 1,000 repetitions to learn a word; by the time he\u2019s a toddler, he might need 50 repetitions; and when he\u2019s in kindergarten, he may need only a few repetitions to master it because the brain connections have been laid out.\u201d Parents help this process by singing the same song, reading the same story, reciting the same nursery rhyme\u2014and repeating what the baby says back. \u201cWe do this intuitively,\u201d says Wright. \u201cA mother will say Mama<\/em> and the baby will hear it 1,000 times before he says it\u2014we don\u2019t get tired of saying that!\u201d<\/p>\n

Wright sees the role repetition plays in development in her baby music classes<\/strong>. \u201cWhen they master a song or rhythm\u2014when they know it, can predict it, can do it all by themselves\u2014they develop this powerful sense of their own competency, a confidence that they\u2019re smart.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are important pre-reading skills in the pages of a favourite book, says Borland. \u201cEach repetition gives kids another opportunity for learning the meaning and nuances of language. To learn to read easily, they have to know the meaning of what they\u2019re reading\u2014they can\u2019t just do it as a mechanical drill.\u201d Kids who\u2019ve experienced repeated readings start school with an advantage, she adds.<\/p>\n

They will go in recognizing words and letters from their memory. When the teacher says the word, it will click: \u2018I know that word.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the years, repetition gives a kid confidence to take on tough tasks<\/strong>. Wright feels strongly that the skills her students learn through repetition take them far. \u201cThey learn that\u2019s how you acquire a skill. They\u2019re set up to know that if they don\u2019t understand something, they can work at it and, with repetition, they really come through. That satisfaction sets them up with confidence for later learning\u2014in school and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n

The benefits of repetition are clear. What\u2019s not so clear is how to get through the next dozen readings of a Dr. Seuss book<\/strong> you aren\u2019t sure you loved the first time through. Our experts offer their suggestions.<\/p>\n

Get creative with how you read it<\/h2>\n

Resist the temptation to avoid reading a fave book that has begun to fray your nerves. Instead, mix it up. Pretend to read the book backward, starting at the back and working forward. See what your child thinks\u2014is it funny? Is he proud to point out your mistake? If the text rhymes, make a game of leaving out words and encourage your child to fill them in. Or don\u2019t read the ending\u2014ask your child to make one up.<\/p>\n

One for you, one for me<\/h2>\n

At the library or bookstore, compromise\u2014let your child pick some books and you pick some. And if your child wants to take home a favourite Christmas book<\/strong> in the spring\u2014throw it on the pile.<\/p>\n

Quality control at the onset<\/h2>\n

Choose quality books and music. If there\u2019s a story you really can\u2019t stand, try not to buy it. Parents ultimately have control over the initial exposure to annoying things, especially with very young children.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t let it interfere with your routine<\/h2>\n

If you feel that your child is using storytime to prolong bedtime, limit repeat readings: \u201cThat\u2019s enough. We\u2019ll read it again tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Remind yourself of the benefits to your child<\/h2>\n

Trust us, it\u2019ll help to pull you through. As you\u2019re reading that bedtime story for the 100th time, focus on your child\u2019s physical and emotional response. See how much he\u2019s enjoying it, how he\u2019s relaxing.<\/p>\n

Most repetition shouldn\u2019t worry you. Catherine Lee, president-elect of the Canadian Psychological Association, explains that the repetitive behaviours of the autism spectrum are unusual. \u201cThey strike us as odd and are behaviours that most children don\u2019t do.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you think the repetition might be going overboard and becoming a compulsion (although obsessive-compulsive disorder<\/strong> is more rare in children than in adults), ask yourself if it\u2019s interfering with your child\u2019s life. Question your friends to get a sense of what their children are doing. Preschoolers especially love the reassurance of familiar stories because they\u2019re learning so many new skills. Lee says, \u201cRepeated requests for Goodnight Moon<\/em> are quite normal. On the other hand, a teen who compulsively reads the same book over and over\u2014not just two or three times\u2014might be a concern.\u201d<\/p>\n

This article was originally published in January 2008.<\/em><\/p>\n

Read more:
15 creative ways to get kids reading (that really work!)
Essential tips for teaching kids to read
<\/strong>14 must-have books for babies<\/strong><\/p>\n

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