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Washing machines, cats, your glasses鈥 is there something random that endlessly interests your baby?
As they start to learn about the world around them, it鈥檚 very common for young children to be fascinated by very specific things.
And while these can seem pretty bizarre, they鈥檙e actually a sign that your baby is starting to make sense of what鈥檚 going on around them. 鈥淭hey are trying to understand how the world works, their place in it and what impact they can have,鈥 says Professor Elizabeth Ann Wood from the University of Sheffield, an expert in children鈥檚 learning.
Mine has a fixation with toilets. As soon as he sees one he gets very excited and tries to climb on it.
And there are patterns, however unpredictable your baby鈥檚 interests might first appear: they all tend to be things that stimulate their senses, explains Elizabeth. 鈥淔or example, if your child鈥檚 fixated with a vacuum cleaner, it might be about the vibration, the noise, the physical backwards and forwards movement, and them imitating what they鈥檝e seen you doing.鈥
My son finds ripping sounds hilarious! He spent one baby group chuckling away to me, ripping strips of paper. The sound of sticky tape always gets a belly laugh too.
Using their fascinations as bonding opportunities
鈥淲hen people ask me 鈥榳hat鈥檚 the best thing I can buy my child?鈥 I always say: it鈥檚 not about buying anything; the most important things are playing, talking and interacting with your child. And their deep and meaningful interests are a great starting point for this,鈥 adds Elizabeth.
For example, if like one mum who messaged us, your baby is mesmerised by scrunching paper 鈥 this could be a chance to do some creative crafts together. If it鈥檚 animals they鈥檙e into, a walk together to spot some wildlife, could be a great activity. Or if they love watching you cook and using pots and pans, how about a music jam once you鈥檝e done the washing up?
Building their communication skills
鈥淩esearch shows that if you talk about what your child is naturally interested in, you鈥檙e going to have a much more satisfying conversation,鈥 adds Dr Danielle Matthews, a development psychologist at the University of Sheffield.
And their fascinations can help you build your baby鈥檚 communication skills, even before they can speak. Your baby might not be able to express it in words, but pay attention for when they are trying to communicate their excitement. This way you鈥檙e following their lead, developing the skills they鈥檒l use in conversation one day. 鈥淚f your child鈥檚 excited about something they will want to tell you about it however they can. It can be a great way of helping them discover the value of communicating,鈥 adds Danielle.
What鈥檚 captured your baby鈥檚 interest?
We asked you what weird and wonderful things interest your baby and we got some pretty unusual answers back鈥
"My eldest was obsessed with Jamie Oliver. He would crawl up to the TV, laugh and shout 鈥榦i鈥 at the screen. We had a little knitted chef made that he still calls 鈥楳y Jamie鈥. He鈥檚 two and a half now."
"My eight-month-old is desperate to chew the dog's squeaky ball."
"My son is obsessed with touching ears."
"My 10-month-old loves empty plastic bottles."
"Natalie Imbruglia."
"Toilet paper. She takes it and hides it in her room. I think she just likes holding it!"
"The egg cups in my parent鈥檚 house, we have exactly the same ones and he鈥檚 not fussed on those. But will make a beeline to the other ones!"
"The vacuum cleaner. He cries when I turn it off and try to put it away and he now has his own little one and wonders around saying 鈥榟oowah鈥. So cute!"
"My son is totally fascinated by my breast pads 鈥 he just steals them and hides them."
"His bath sponge. Sends him CRAZY, sucks it to death鈥 and we have had to hide it in case he sees it. Always ends in tears."
