Question: Dear Doctors,
I have a 2 1/2 year old son. For the past month, I have noticed that my son has a lack interest in playing, whether with his toys or at the playground. He seems to be bored.
His toys are inclusive of animal figurines, building blocks, puzzles, model vehicles etc. When I brought him to the playground, we only spend around 15-20 minutes before he asked to go home.
What cause this issue? Should I get new toys, bring him to a more crowded playground?
Thank you. (Cool Dad)
Answer: Dear Sir, Does he have good eye contact with you and others? How does he communicate? How does he tell you that he wants to go home? Children at this age are usually fond of playing, so I would like to first exclude and social behavior that could be abnormal. If he is already picking up words and phrases, has good eye contact, then I wont be too worred. Otherwise, he needs a check-up. I agree that new toys, friends will motivate him to play more. It is possible that he is really bored. Is his lack of interest something new or he has been like this since the beginning ? If this has just recently happened, then it could be due to some recent events, or an illnes. We hope to get our pyschiatrist to give further answer on this.