Sometimes Age Is Just a Number

As parents, we're all careful to look at the suggested age range when we buy a new toy or game for our children.  The primary reason for doing so is, of course, to prevent exposure to tiny parts that may cause young kids to choke.

Otherwise, the age limit is supposed to indicate that a child is developmentally ready to handle whatever game or toy is is.

I got this bubble thing down.

So, when I learned that Anna loved doing puzzles at school, I went through the games in our basement fun room and found a puzzle for us to try together. The only problem was.....it had 100 pieces. I hesitated for a moment, thinking that maybe she wasn't ready for that. The ones at school were between 25 and 50 pieces, and the bigger ones have numbers written on the back to help the kids place them. And the box said, "Ages 5+."

But I said, what the heck, I'll help and it'll be fun and if she gets bored with it, fine.

So we did it. And when I say "we" - I mean it was mostly Anna. Turns out she's way better at puzzles than I am. Here she is putting the finishing touches on this (100-piece) scene from Strawberry Shortcake:

I was seriously impressed that not only did Anna sit down and complete it from beginning to end with very minimal assistance from Mom, but she also didn't want the TV on and insisted doing most of it herself. With every successful placement of a puzzle piece, she triumphantly said, "Sweet!!" just like I would.  For a kid that's so high energy and likes to be so physically active, her attention span and determination were remarkable.

So we went to Wal-Mart for more puzzles.

I'm sure I had a proud grin on my face when plucking a few 100 piece puzzles off the shelves and thinking, "Ages 5 and up - whatever! My kid can do it at 3 and a half!"

We all think our kids are little geniuses sometimes, don't we?

Here's a Disney princess one that Anna did by herself:

That one was tough because the pieces were shiny and the picture's focus changes slightly when you move the pieces, but it didn't stop our Pie. And now she likes taking apart puzzles she's already done and immediately putting them back together, a feat which also takes a lot of attention for someone her age. She's simply mesmerized when doing puzzles.

This got me wondering how many other cool, educational toys or projects I've passed up because she wasn't "old enough." What does that even mean? Who decides? I'm sure there are many kids who can do these things before the recommended age, and many who need extra time and figure it out after that. I know I've passed up flash cards that look cool and similar stuff, thinking it was more for kindergarteners than preschoolers and that I should wait a year or two. Really? Maybe not.

So, the moral of the story is, don't limit your kids by always sticking to "age appropriate" stuff (of course, I'm not suggesting those tiny Legos or other choking hazards). Take a risk and buy something that's a little more advanced. Who knows, your kid may be more ready than you thought! And if not, you can just hold onto it until he or she is ready. 

My outlook is a bit different now.  I want Anna to know I believe in her and her ability to do whatever she sets her mind to. Last night, she wanted to learn to write some letters on our driveway with chalk, so that's what we did.  She's already got A, E, F, H, O, T and X pretty much down.  

Her puzzle skill really taught me not to go by others' standards - when it comes to her growth, development, imagination, everything, I want the sky to be the limit. 

Exploring the Beach, March 18, 2012