The Effect of Legos on a Child's Emotions
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I got my little cousin this awesome Lego set for Christmas. It's an Animal Crossing set, and you get Nook's Cranny and Rosie's house. It also comes with little mini figures of Tom Nook and Rosie. Once you build the 2 houses, you can organize little items for the shop and decorate the house.
She started building that thing immediately after we did presents. I wanted to help, but I ended up just watching and hanging out.
If I had that set as a kid, I'd have never left my room.
Bro, you can get a whole town set for Animal Crossing. There's even one with the able sisters shop.
Animal Crossing: Pop. Growing wasn't super well received when I played it on the GameCube. It wasn't ever marketed like a flagship Nintendo game back then.
I had to beg my dad to help me order a Tom Nook plush from Japan for like $50. It was the cheapest little bag-hanger plush, and should not have cost that much.
Now it's a booming franchise. I wish I was born 20 years younger so I could fully indulge in Animal Crossing and Legos again.
This house is not a...
My parents got me a giant castle & dragon Lego set when I was a wee little guy.
I never built it to it's intended shape.
Rather, it fueled my little brain and I played with the mini figures instead.
I built a little house for my favorite Lego-Guy, with a comfy bed and a roof.
I had a core-memory-moment when I finally played with him like kid should; making stories and adventures with him - giving him a personality and making him happy.
Playing house.
I cried a little after putting him in bed, then going to bed myself.
I didn't know why I felt that way back then.
Looking back on that moment, it's because I wasn't shown that kind of emotional attentiveness I craved as a kid. I saw a little piece of me getting what he needed; a benevolent caretaker making me feel comfortable being myself.
I never got to play with toys like that because I was afraid someone would see me and make fun of me. My dad in particular, who I so strongly looked up to. I was terrified of his disapproval.
Don't fuck up. If you fuck up, you'll get yelled at. If you act weird, you'll be mocked. If you play with toys, you're girly or gay.
I wanted my dad to like me, because I felt like I was a burden.
(kids are technically burdens, but you're not supposed to know that until after you're a kid lol)
Microplastic
Because of that Lego figure, I was able to get in touch with my empathetic, and warm inner voice as a child.
That Lego set helped me unknowingly deal with complicated emotions at the time. I cried any time I felt like I did something nice for the figure, and it felt good.
Funny enough, my dad was pissed when I played with the set because I never built it the way it was supposed to be. He'd grumble on about how expensive it was and how I was so spoiled that I didn't take care of my stuff.
Also that Lego figure was dope. He was kind of like Meta Knight, and was pitch black with just 2 yellow eyes. I gave him one of the knight helmets and a sword made of the fire that came from the dragon set. I also gave him one of the knight capes too.