[JayGee]

Since DS received his first 2 pack of Matchbox cars for his 2nd birthday, his LIFE has revolved around cars. Matchbox cars, real cars, anything automotive. It's been going on for almost three years now, and shows no signs of waning. "Playing cars" is his default. He takes them in the shower. Plays with them outside. Builds garages for them out of blocks. Designs parking systems for multiple cars. All his favorite websites are the car manufacturer websites and he'll easily spend an hour looking at "options" for a vehicle.

I've tried getting him to branch out in his play but it's always back to cars. Playdoh becomes building hills for cars. Baking becomes making a snowstorm out of flour for his cars to drive through. Drawing, you guessed it.... cars. He recognizes most of the makes and models of cars on the road and most conversations go like this:
DS: Mom, did you see that cool F-150 Super Duty with the running boards?
Me: No, what color was it?
DS: Metallic silver taupe. And I think it had leather seats! Can we turn around so you can see it?
Me: I don't think we can do that.

The problem ~ I'm LOSING my MIND playing cars. Try as I might, I just can't work up the enthusiasm for driving miniature jeeps through the mud. It's been three years already. Will it ever end? I love to play with my children ~ baking, reading, dollhouse, waterplay, are all big fun, but the second DS utters the dreaded words, "Let's play cars, Mama!" My heart just sinks. And then I feel guilty.

 

[angela&avery]

My five year old has been obsessed with cars since before he was one!! He got a hold of matchbox cars and I have video of him laying on the floor playing cars at like 11 months old just watching the wheels. Just laying there.. face down, his head laid down sideways on the rug, moving the cars back and forth watching the wheels. It just went on from there. He likes anything with wheels. At age 2 it was trains, then it was monster trucks. He loves hotwheels anything. He is obsessed with the Cars movie that just came out and all things associated with it.

At age 4 he became obsessed with knex and legos. He makes cars with them.

But he can follow the directions and build the cars by himself!!

He still likes those but its been Cars movie for the past couple of months.

He does color, but all he does is draw cars.

We bought him the plan city wooden cars garage, gas station and a ton of wooden vehicles... very cool!!

He likes the micro machines too!!

I really love it though!! Its better than guns and fighting!!!

 

[LynnS6]

Hey at least you don't have to spend all your time lying on the bed being the robotic arm for the garbage truck! We're obsessed with garbage trucks and recycling around here. Ds played NOTHING else for about 2 1/2 years. He's branched out some now, but is coming back to garbage trucks.

Have you read "Playful Parenting" - there's a great chapter in there where he writes about why he plays Barbies with his daughter even though he hates it.

At the same time though, it's OK to set limits. "I'll play cars for 30 minutes and then I'd like to play a different game." That keeps me sane.

 

[lindberg99]

My DH is 44 and I have conversations with him like the one you and your son had regularly. He has asked me to speed up, slow down, change routes, or whatever so he can check out some sports car, esp. if it is a Porsche. He really flips out when he sees some super expensive, fast car. When he is drawing with the kids, he usually draws pictures of his car. He bought a race track set one Christmas, supposedly for our older son, who was 4 and way too young for the type of track it was and not very interested in cars. I came home one day to find that DH had downloaded a map of a local race track and built a replica of it with the toy track. Fortunately for DH, our 2 yo DS is just as crazy about cars so maybe someone will finally play with the track with him.

I guess what I'm saying is that your son's car obsession might be around for a long time!

 

[maizy]

My ds thought he WAS a worm for almost a year. Would crawl around on the floor at home, in public whatever and "worm it" He would yell "look at all these worms" refering to people (and believing it was a compliment) The first week I thought it was cute then it dragged on for a year or more. Now while he likes worms he is no longer obsessed. Now he might be a cat, dog, car, flamingo, its a little more fun I suppose.
My point is yes it can drive a mama crazy. My advice... I wish I had some.

 

[Flor]

Ds is obssessed with cars, but if he wants me to play with him, I am basically playing dolls with the cars, ie. "Lets go play at the park" "Let's take a drive to the store!"