You've probably noticed a lot of pictures of B which include a building block. The institution staff told us he never, ever.....ever....goes anywhere without the block. Ever. They use it to get him to do pretty much anything.
When we first started visiting the institution, we noticed the block not only went with him everywhere, but it also never left his hands. The rare occasion when he dropped it was a moment of panic for him until it was back in his hands. When he needed both hands to do something he'd hold it between his knees or in his armpit.
On the morning of our first full day with him at the apartment we were able to get him to put it down for a few seconds here and there so he could have both hands to do something. Around mid morning he and I took a walk, and naturally the block went with us. A couple of times he dropped it, but I exclaimed "Uh oh!" and we picked it up and carried on.
Later in the day Dean took him for a walk and B accidentally dropped his block, but this time it became a game. Him purposely dropping it and picking it up, occasionally giving it a kick. Typical boy stuff.
By the second day we realized his intense hold on the block while in the institution was all about security, yes, but it was also about ownership. If he were to drop it, someone else would get hold of it, and with lightning fast speed!
Today (Sunday) he started playing games with his block. First a catch game where he would toss it in the air just a little bit, letting it bounce off a chair and onto the floor, laughing when it did. He repeated this activity many times. We can't get him to play with anything else, but he will play with this block. Then, this afternoon he took his games a bit further. A bit of object permanence and cause and effect, all rolled into one!
I can't wait to get him home and introduce him to toddler toys. I think he's really going to like them once he sees Axel playing with them.
When we first started visiting the institution, we noticed the block not only went with him everywhere, but it also never left his hands. The rare occasion when he dropped it was a moment of panic for him until it was back in his hands. When he needed both hands to do something he'd hold it between his knees or in his armpit.
On the morning of our first full day with him at the apartment we were able to get him to put it down for a few seconds here and there so he could have both hands to do something. Around mid morning he and I took a walk, and naturally the block went with us. A couple of times he dropped it, but I exclaimed "Uh oh!" and we picked it up and carried on.
Later in the day Dean took him for a walk and B accidentally dropped his block, but this time it became a game. Him purposely dropping it and picking it up, occasionally giving it a kick. Typical boy stuff.
By the second day we realized his intense hold on the block while in the institution was all about security, yes, but it was also about ownership. If he were to drop it, someone else would get hold of it, and with lightning fast speed!
Today (Sunday) he started playing games with his block. First a catch game where he would toss it in the air just a little bit, letting it bounce off a chair and onto the floor, laughing when it did. He repeated this activity many times. We can't get him to play with anything else, but he will play with this block. Then, this afternoon he took his games a bit further. A bit of object permanence and cause and effect, all rolled into one!
I can't wait to get him home and introduce him to toddler toys. I think he's really going to like them once he sees Axel playing with them.
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