Kids love playing with the lights
@shaggin (74987)
United States
December 11, 2010 10:09pm CST
I noticed that just about any child who comes to my house has to turn the light switches on an off. I find that so odd lol. I do remember when I was young though I loved turning the switches on and off as well. My mother always yelled that it wasted electricity and so when my son does it I always tell him to stop that hes wasting the electricity. He has toys to play with he doesnt need to play with the lights. When I was at the doctors yesterday this cute little boy and my son were kind of playing and being bossy at times lol. I'm guessing they were about the same age as they were the same height. The little turned the light switch to off and his mother didnt say anything. I would have told him not to do that and it would have stopped things. But since she didnt say anything my son went over and turned it back on. For at least a half an hour this let to one child turning the light on and the other turning it off. I have to say they were having a lot of fun but I wish the mother had said something to her son to begin with so that way my son wouldnt have kept going with the game. I dont want him thinking its ok to do that all the time. She seemed like a very sweet and caring mother though.
8 responses
@bounce58 (17380)
• Canada
16 Dec 10
I guess that's why they put the light switches chest high. Not only for easy reach for adults, but also so little children wouldn't grab at them all the time.
My son went to a similar phase just before Christmas. I told him to stop several times, but it took a while before it sunk in.
Then Christmas lights went up. The old phase of the regular lights passed, and now it's gone to touching Christmas lights on the tree.
@shaggin (74987)
• United States
16 Dec 10
We dont have light switches in our house only on the stairs. Every where else we have lamps on dressers and desks. Oh the computer room, closet and kitchen have lights in the ceiling with pull cords so my son cant reach them but the lamps on the tables he will turn on and off. The light in this playroom was low. It was well below chest height so that the 3 year olds could reach the light pretty easily by reaching their arms up. I guess they should have thought that out better.
@buggles64 (2709)
• United States
15 Dec 10
lol...that does sound like something children would do. I think it's how they learn, you cause and affect. I mean when your discovering things for the first time, it is so amazing! I love it. But yes, I would be like you and say "that's wasting electricity." And it would be......because I heard the same thing when I was growing up.
1 person likes this
@shaggin (74987)
• United States
16 Dec 10
HAHA yes thats probably why I say it because I always heard my parents saying it to me that turning the lights on and off constantly uses a lot of electricity. I used to get mad at them for something and just go turn the lights on and off like twenty times just to be mean. Yeah I was a total brat lol. I feel bad now thinking of how bad I was as a kid. I'm so lucky my kids arent like I was.
@ganeshprabhuk (1722)
• India
12 Dec 10
I do notice lot of kids switching on and off the switches at home. Sometimes even I enjoy doing such things. I really dont know the reason behind it. Kids if offered toys they just play for one day and after that they just leave those and start playing with lights. I think they are very fascinated about lights so like to play with lights right.
1 person likes this
@shaggin (74987)
• United States
12 Dec 10
HEHE so you noticed the same thing as I did. Its nice when they learn how to turn the lights on and off because then say you get your shoes on and forget to turn the light off you can ask them to do it for you. When kids are little they love doing jobs and helping out. I wish they always stayed that way and wanted to cleanup :)
@Nadinest1 (2016)
• Canada
15 Dec 10
At my house it isn't the light switch.
It's the ice and water maker in my fridge door.
Young kids seem to be sooo thirsty when they visit us. LOL
@shaggin (74987)
• United States
16 Dec 10
Ohh goodness lol. Hopefully you have well water like we do so it doesnt cost anything to run the cold water. It causes the pump to the well to turn on though so that does waste electricty just not the water. If they turn on the hot water and it runs then it wastes the oil in the hot water heater. At least we dont have to pay for the water though. My son is obsessed with playing with the water. After he eats he takes his plates and cups in the bathroom sink and rinses them off. He doesnt do it for just a minute though its like 5 minutes and he will say they arent clean yet so I will go in and take them away.
@marapplestiffy (2182)
• Philippines
12 Dec 10
I once demonstrated to my preschool students how to turn off and on the lights(I teach in a Montessori school and we have Practical life in our curriculum) I enjoyed it so much as them for it was so fun seeing their faces so excited for their turn and when it also light up and their squeals of delight when they get to have their turn to turn the lights off and on...
Yes, it really is wasting electricity but I think it's a small thing to pay for the children's enjoyment in that moment, though the other mother should really have told his son not to turn off the lights but it was just a one time occurrence anyway...@shaggin (74987)
• United States
12 Dec 10
A friend of mine was a Montessori teacher. It was interesting to hear about. In this case it wasent just a matter of them turning the lights off and on one time. It was over and over for about a half hour straight. I would get my son to stop then hers would start back up. Then because she was letting him do it I felt wrong telling my son to stop.
@crisdel12 (78)
• Philippines
13 Dec 10
He he he. I just realized it now. Last week after I finished working on my home-made LED lighting system I started testing it by turning on and off the switch. One of my kids came over and was so delighted to see the lights turning on and off. He begged to let him do it and so I allowed him. He did it for almost 30 minutes without getting bored. He made a good job of testing it though.
@shaggin (74987)
• United States
13 Dec 10
LOL well that is really nice of you to let him do that for about 30 minutes lol. As long as you are paying for the electricity then it doesnt matter. I dont want my kids wasting electricity in my home or anyone elses though. I am kind of stickler about that. I'm glad your child enjoyed that so much and it kept him entertained for awhile :)
@_sketch_ (5742)
• United States
13 Dec 10
Kids are just interested in how they can make an impact on the world; I think that's why they like to play with lights. But I think I would have said something to the mother. I hate when people let their kids run around in public places.
@shaggin (74987)
• United States
13 Dec 10
It was in this little play room but it pretty much was in the waiting room with everyone else and there was no door or anything to deaden the sounds. Everyone was nice about it though people were laughing at the antics my son and her two were stirring up. It was funny because my son asked where the one little boy went and I said I didnt know to come back and sit down by me. One of the ladies there said to my son that the little boy went to the bathroom. Then my son takes off running to the bathroom and says I have to go get him. I started laughing and ran after him and told him not that we do not follow people into the bathroom.
@JudgeIronFist (2470)
• Singapore
13 Dec 10
Kids will be kids. Anything they see will always amaze them and they will keep on exploring and playing with it till they get bored.