Kids are Weird

Your kid is sitting at home with a piece of paper that you drew a circle or other basic shape on. They are talking to the paper, telling it all about what they’ve been doing for the day. They take the paper to the bathroom, their room, and to eat with them. They won’t let that paper out of their site no matter what you do to try to convince them otherwise. It’s literally a piece of paper with a simple circle on it. You kid is weird.

But your kid isn’t any weirder than another kid. Kids like to do some of the weirdest things that you won’t be able to understand. Having a piece of paper as their best friend for a period of time is weird, but it’s common for kids to do things like this. Don’t freak out just because your kid is acting a little weird about these things - kids turn out normal even when doing things like this when young.

Rather than worrying about it, make sure that you get a couple of pictures and videos of these times with your child. Don’t put them on social media, but rather just hold onto them for the future. In about 20 years, you’re going to want to pull these photos and videos out to show your kid the funny things that they did when they were little.

If you’re really worried about your child and the way that they’re acting then you can talk to your doctor about it. Pretending that inanimate objects are real people or things is not unusual though. Having an imaginary friend is quite normal for young kids and has been for years - pretending that an inanimate object is real is simply another version of an imaginary friend.

Other odd things that your kid may do:

• Pretend that a screw is their best friend. Yes, an actual screw that you use to hold things together.
• Doorknobs can listen to everything your child tells them. Your child may have multiple best friends in the home if all of the doorknobs will listen.
• Basically anything may become a doll if your child likes dolls. Legos, crayons, or otherwise are simply a doll. They can have beautiful hair and enjoy a great tea party with everyone.
• Washcloths are another favorite among kids. They like to pretend they're dolls or simply that they’re a good friend. It’s the softness.
• Food is also popular as a friend. Generally something in a jar like pickles or peanut butter that they child can carry around with them.
• Some kids like to take food to bed. Not that they want to eat it, rather just to have something to sleep with that’s not a stuffed animal.
• All of that bubble wrap that you get with your online orders is another fun object that kids like to get attached to. Just hope they don’t pop it or they might have an epic meltdown.
• You know those coin machines at the front of stores with little toys in plastic? Your kid might find that the plastic thing the toy comes in is their best friend...forget the toy.

All of these are actual things kids do, and there are plenty more. For whatever reason, kids like to make friends and play some very odd things. There’s generally no reason to buy the nicest or most expensive toys for kids as they’ll make do with some of the simplest things that you have around the house. Ultimately, they’ll outgrow most of these oddities, but it may take some time.

Don’t worry - your kid is weird, but so are most other kids. They’ll do weird things all the time and it’s totally expected. Enjoy having a little laugh at what they’re doing, keep smiling, and keep a few memories of the moments for later in life.