Why does my child want to take everything apart? 

The connector schema explained

Some children love putting things together while others love pulling them apart. Both habits may mean your child has a connecting schema – a fascination with the way things work and interact. 
If your child is obsessed with building towers, joining train tracks, sticking and pasting or taking every toy to pieces to see what’s inside them, they’re a connecter.

A connecting schema, which also includes disconnecting, indicates an interest in science, mechanics and engineering. It can drive a parent to distraction, particularly if you have a child who is determined to deconstruct everything, but they’re actually learning loads while they’re playing, and here’s how you can help. 

Talk to them about force, gravity, magnets and different types of materials. Investigate with them, conduct simple experiments with them.
Talk about why some towers fall down while others stay up, about why heavier objects sink quicker.

You could also try:

• Singing ring a ring-a-roses (falling down)

• Making paper chains

• Creating collages

• junk modelling

Lego, Duplo and wooden railways are great toys for children with connecting schemas, as are jigsaw puzzles and magnets. 

Get crafty too with scissors and glue. Their confidence and self-esteem will sky rocket if they see you understand what motivates them. 

Today, they might be building with blocks, but who knows, in twenty years’ time, they might be designing skyscrapers!