When I think of spontaneous repetition, I think of very little ones, like the stories Maria Montessori shared about children doing something over and over and even just the little ones who have been in my care over the past 14 years (mine and others'). There is such a natural tendency for them to repeat something over and over and over. They are focused, intent and just have this need.
It apparently is not just for little ones. :P
My son, who is 11, got his first house key on Sunday. Monday, the repetition began: lock, unlock, lock, unlock... And not just the deadbolt on the back door, but the doorknob, too. He showed his little 4yo cousin how it worked in all of the doorknob and deadbolts to the outside/garage. It got so bad, it was driving me crazy. So he then took up just doing it from outside rather than leaving the door open and doing it. Tuesday, he kept his key with him and every time he went outside to play, he locked the door. He'd come in for water or to get something and would unlock, do what he needed to do, then back outside and locked the door. It was really quite funny!
He did it again yesterday, but was not in-and-out so much. Today, the novelty seems to have worn off. Or I guess in Montessori terms, the need has been fulfilled.
Do you have any stories of an older child doing something almost obsessively repetitively?
