Newspaper Article

[Klay]

I was reading my local newspaper a few days ago (yes, I still read the newspaper) and I came across this article:

I sat up suddenly in bed early Sunday morning; I thought I’d heard something downstairs. Something terrible.

“Did you hear that?” I asked my husband.

“What?”

“Legos. Legos falling …”

Legos make a very distinct noise when they fall on a wood floor — something between a thud and a clatter. It’s the sound of time dying. Of hours eating themselves.

I got up out of bed and found my 6-year-old standing over a massive shipwreck on the stairs. I’m pretty sure he would have been using every bad word he knew, if he knew any. “Oh, man,” he kept saying. “Man.”

“Don’t worry,” I promised, “we’ll rebuild it.”

I should have said, “Don’t worry, we’ll spend the next two days rebuilding it. And every time we rebuild it, we’ll have a few extra pieces left. Pretty soon, you’ll have enough extra pieces to build a whole new ship!”

An obscene number of Legos arrived at our house Saturday morning. (Under mysterious circumstances, there being no chimney). It’s not just my house, right? Every little boy I know is obsessed with Legos.

My son thinks Legos make everything better. He doesn’t want to dress up like Batman; he wants to dress up like Lego Batman. He doesn’t want a Star Wars party. He wants a Lego Star Wars party.

For a long time, my husband and I just ignored all this want. We were like, “You can pretend to be Lego Batman, that’s fine. But real Legos are time-consuming choking hazards, and also they’re phenomenally expensive. And? They don’t look like that much fun.”

I was never much of a Lego kid. (I was no Zach/Zach/Lego maniac.) Maybe because I was a girl, maybe because Legos were totally different back then.

You didn’t see many Lego kits (Like today’s Lego Hogwarts or Lego Millennium Falcon). People usually had Lego assortments, boxes full of loose Lego pieces in various sizes and colors.

I would play with Legos if there was nothing else around, but I could never build anything cool and I didn’t get anything out of the creative process. I’d rather play with a car than build one. (This same personality trait keeps me from enjoying Mongolian grills. Yes, I’d like chicken curry. No, I don’t want to make it.)

Today’s Legos have more in common with models than building blocks. You buy specific kits — castles, spaceships, etc. — and they come with thick construction manuals.

I actually like the building phase. My son and I both love puzzles and, oddly, following instructions.

But once the Lego sets are built, he wants to play with them. Like they’re action figures.

I applaud his imagination, obviously. I’d hate to watch a $60 Lego set gather dust on his bedroom shelf. (Sixty dollars only buys you a medium-sized set, by the way. The ventis go for $100 and up.)

But Legos are not action figures. They’re allergic to action. Enthusiastic looking makes Lego sets fall apart. If you think about them from a distance, they start to shed pieces.

And if you play with them — if you swing the spaceships around the room like … like spaceships — just forget about it. They’ll fall apart in ways that defy explanation.

Which is why I made a Target run on the day after Christmas specifically to buy glue.

I know it’s gauche to glue Legos together, and that Lego purists might mock my son someday for cheating. “If you glue them, you can’t play with them again,” they say.

But if I don’t glue them, he won’t be able to play with them now. We’re a few “Oh man”s away from a box full of random Legos.

And nobody wants to play with that.

The article has so much fail I won't even get into it. Any opinions?

[Peppermint_M]

Glue is fail.

Son may break set, so he makes a space-pirate-ninja-castle-ship that the Jedi and Stormtroopers are having a fight on. Not a glued lump of useless.

Man, some people are thick... I mean, that's the whole point of Lego, it breaks so you make a new one! It isn't airfix!

I have heard of those strange adults who become parents and lose all sense, but I never knew they were real. Is there any way you can contact this poor soul and just gently explain the whole point of Lego?

[Klay]

Glue is fail.

Son may break set, so he makes a space-pirate-ninja-castle-ship that the Jedi and Stormtroopers are having a fight on. Not a glued lump of useless.

Man, some people are thick... I mean, that's the whole point of Lego, it breaks so you make a new one! It isn't airfix!

I have heard of those strange adults who become parents and lose all sense, but I never knew they were real. Is there any way you can contact this poor soul and just gently explain the whole point of Lego?

Yeah, I got her email.

[AndyC]

We’re a few “Oh man”s away from a box full of random Legos. And nobody wants to play with that.

Yes. Yes, they do. In fact, that's when the real fun begins.

If you're going to give your kid Lego (and you should) then you should encourage them to play with it. And that doesn't have to mean just building the sets to instructions. Let them throw it all together and build whatever their imagination comes up with. And when they break it up, let them do it all over again.

[legomaniac83]

Wow, I don't know where to start.....

Can you send the link to the article? Or the name of the paper? I would love to send a "Letter to the Editor" in response to it.

If they even accept them any more

[AussieJimbo]

Man, some people are thick...

That's about all that needs to be said about this abysmal article.

Reminded me of the other day before XMAS when I was standing next to a couple of blokes at the Lego shelves.

One said to the other that he wouldn't be buying Lego for his kids because of the huge hassle of sorting out the pieces after you've played with them.

It made me sad for the poor kids who will be missing out for such a daft reason.

Edited January 10, 2011 by AussieJimbo

[Clone OPatra]

Yes the parent sounds pretty stupid, but I am really sorry for the kid who's parent thinks he can't handle anything at all.

I was the type that didn't want to build my own creations and just wanted to keep the sets together the way they were to play with, but it wasn't such a problem. It didn't take long to figure out that some models couldn't be swooshed with smashing, and so those I just wouldn't swoosh. Jeez.

The author makes it sound as if all LEGO ships are terribly designed. Maybe some of the larger ones are fragile because they're large, but honestly most Star Wars models at least aren't going to fall to bits unless you actually drop them, and even then they usually do not totally explode.

What a shame that kid can't be left to learn from the mistake of dropping his prized model and having to put it together. It may not be all that fun, but it makes you more careful the next time!

[Brickdoctor]

But real Legos are time-consuming choking hazards

Really? Her six-year old son is in danger of choking on LEGO? Does he like, chew on them or something? There's a reason the choking hazard warning applies to 3 and under. If her six-year old is chewing on LEGO and thus in danger of choking, I don't think he should get action figures and other toys like that.

[meyerc13]

I could forgive a few of the things mentioned in the article, but gluing the LEGO pieces doesn't make any sense to me. My son is much like hers, 5 years old and wants to play with the LEGO sets like they are action figures. Which is the point since they are toys. Sometimes sets fall apart, and I fix them. The cause of sets falling apart is usually his almost 3 year old sister.

I posted a thread on here a while ago that my daughter had destroyed the LEGO City, taking me days to sort out parts and rebuild sets. But in the end I got it done. A few changes I've since made:

1. Instituted the rule that if you didn't build it, you can't take it apart.
   
2. Keep a closer eye on the little one.
   
3. Rebuild minor destruction every day or two, so that it's easier to figure out what parts go where.
   

I would never glue LEGO sets though. Even though my son wants the sets to be together for play (and with my new rules he isn't allowed to destroy the purchased sets without my permission), there will come a day when he decides the police station isn't the way he wants it, and we will tear it down and rebuild. We also keep a good stock of useful parts and random bricks so that if he wants to sit and build something he can, without destroying sets to do it.

[davee123]

I see the beginning of it here:

http://www.livewellnebraska.com/article/20101229/LIVING/712299980/103128

And more here:

http://rainbow.omaha.com/2010/12/29/when-legos-fall-apart-so-do-i/

DaveE

Edited January 10, 2011 by davee123

[CorneliusMurdock]

What's even sadder are the replies to the articles that agree with her. Why do these parents feel the need to control their kids' play time? There's one on the second link that complains that their kid isn't keeping their sets together so the parent can sell them on Ebay later. It's a TOY, let the kids play. Their kids will never be creative or imaginative because their parents won't let them. They're raising a generation of mindless drones.

I should've learned by now not to read comments on things like news articles, though. Makes me lose all faith in humanity.

[AndyC]

There's one on the second link that complains that their kid isn't keeping their sets together so the parent can sell them on Ebay later. It's a TOY, let the kids play.

Yeah, that genuinely bothers me. Why would anyone do that? Why not just go the whole hog, buy your kids all the popular toys then insist they keep them all sealed in the box never to be played with? They'll be worth so much more that way....

[def]

Sad bunch of people. Not because of the anti-Lego attitude, but since the parents are insistent on telling their kids on how to play with toys.

It's not playing if there are rules.

[RileyC]

Yeah, that genuinely bothers me. Why would anyone do that? Why not just go the whole hog, buy your kids all the popular toys then insist they keep them all sealed in the box never to be played with? They'll be worth so much more that way....

Well I sort of do that with my own lego I buy. Though I always open them and enjoy the sets, I have always been conscience about the resale value held within Star Wars sets. Though I have no idea what will happen after the license I still feel like I can sell them at any time and get more money that I bought them for.

Its sad that she wants to glue them but if she wants to stifle her kids creativity, I say let her. She clearly doesnt get what lego is all about. Kids need to experiment with their bricks and try new things. And what's lego without competely smashing a model? I know Ive done it a few times. While a few Damns are always in order, its always funny to watch and fun to put back together.

[Arigomi]

This mother has some strange ideas about the sizes of LEGO sets. I would personally say that "medium" sized sets would be in the $20-$50 range.

Something tells me this mother ignored the recommended age rating on the box. Large sets are recommended for kids at least 9-years-old due to their complexity. Her 6-year-old child is too young for a large set.

[David Thomsen]

I find it weird that she's writing this article like she's talking about obvious truths that all adults will understand.

"Yeah, I read that article about the mother who glued together her child's Lego sets. I'd totally do the same thing. In fact I'd go with Playmobil, it's comes pre-assembled!"

But then, everyone who writes a column in the newspaper has the same kind of self-righteousness and confidence in their opinions, even when they're quite horribly wrong. This is why I just don't read them any more.

Later on, after he has left home, the child will remember how his mother used to glue Lego together, and casually buy a set just to see what it's like to have non-glued Lego... this purchase will lead to another... and another...

I wouldn't contact her though, personally... I imagine I'd just get a snarky response anyway.

[simonjedi]

What a bunch of tools. I feel sorry for the kid.

[CorneliusMurdock]

I wouldn't contact her though, personally... I imagine I'd just get a snarky response anyway.

Yeah, and she moderates the comments on the article itself so don't expect her to let you post on it if you disagree. I thought about writing a comment myself and then saw that and realized it would be useless.

[AlexPL]

When I first saw the article I thought it was just a joke by sarcastic parent. But, well, it's not...

On the one hand, she bought this set so she has rights to do whatever she likes. And that icludes gluing the set.

And in the comments she wrote that they glued only few pieces, which were falling off constanly. So perhaps it's not as bad.

The kid is probably happy to be able to play with his Lego spaceship without the risk of toy falling apart.

Well, he is happy now, but I guess he will be a little frustrated after few years when he grows up and tries to build some MOCs...

[Klay]

I went ahead and sent her an email.

Rainbow,

I'm a -- year old boy from -----, and I always read your articles in the paper. Not because I like them. I enjoy reading about what harmless thing you're bashing now. But one of your articles stood out to me. The LEGO article. First off, it's LEGO, not 'legos'. Secondly, the whole point of LEGO is to build your own things. You like constructing models that you keep forever? Buy a wooden model set. Don't waste LEGO by gluing pieces together. LEGO is one of my favorite things. I respect your son for liking it. But I don't respect you. LEGO is about creativity. By gluing it, you have taken away some of your son's creativity. Is that what you want? One website I'd like to point out to you is: http://mocpages.com/. Look at the website. See all the creations your son could be making? But he can't. Why? You glued his pieces together. I'm not telling you how to raise your kid. I'm just saying maybe you should at least ask him if he wants his pieces glued. In response to the last line of the LEGO article, I say- actually, everybody does. At least, everyone besides you.

From,

Clay G----

PS- I posted your article on some LEGO message boards. I hope you don't mind.

I censored some things for reposting on Eurobricks, but other than that it's the same.

[vexorian]

Meh glue. I bought a small bulk of random used parts yesterday and some parts were glued, I really want to die a little when I think of the poor people that did such thing to those innocent bricks. I hope I manage to find a way to remove the glue in a way that the bricks come out as new.

I worry more about parents that for some reason buy LEGO sets for their kids and build the sets themselves...

Rebuilding the sets should be the owner's work, duh?

LEGO sets can be destroyed and that's WAY funnier than normal toys. You can use the Dragon to destroy that castle just fine, because you'll be able to rebuild the Castle and rebuilding the castle is actually fun. Parents that don't get that make my head ache.

[Gregorovich]

Fair enough, LEGO's expensive, and fair enough, it can sometimes make a mess. But that's no reason for you to glue the poor child's LEGO together. I mean, she says she doesn't want a $60 set to go to waste, so why does she glue it? That is putting it to waste! What's the world coming to...glueing LEGO together

[happymark]

to be honest, IMHO....

if there are plenty of lego pieces in a huge box, it is not much fun to build.

at certain point, you have to sort them, so you do not waste time during building your MOC using your imagination..

We’re a few “Oh man”s away from a box full of random Legos. And nobody wants to play with that.

Yes. Yes, they do. In fact, that's when the real fun begins.

If you're going to give your kid Lego (and you should) then you should encourage them to play with it. And that doesn't have to mean just building the sets to instructions. Let them throw it all together and build whatever their imagination comes up with. And when they break it up, let them do it all over again.

[Ricecracker]

Gluing it will just mean that when it does get dropped, and from the sounds of it, it will, that the parts will actually break, not just separate from one-another...

[JimBee]

Puh. Lego gathering dust on your shelf? No way. Some people sure are thick.

But, anyway, yeah I agree. Gluing them together is ridiculous. Now they really are going to gather dust, when the kid realizes he doesn't want to play with the same spaceship over and over again. He wants to use his imagination and build different ships. Then Lego becomes just like any other toy, by gluing them together

I don't blame the mother on some parts, though. She probably didn't realize that gluing the pieces together would have more consequences than purists pleading to not ruin the pieces.