Navdeep
When my little one hit the tender age of four months, I began to notice a fascinating pattern – he had a penchant for repeating the same activities over and over again. Be it reaching out for the toys dangling from his crib or watching his favorite YouTube videos on a loop, this penchant for repetition has stuck with him—even now at five, proving once again that toddlers love doing things again and again.
During the past summer, there was a phase where his absolute favorite was a video showcasing tractors and farm equipment. I must admit, the constant background music started to wear on me. But my little one’s excitement for the video never faded. As a parent, these repeated behaviors can feel tiring. Still, there’s a deeper purpose behind them.
Experts in childhood development assert that repetition serves a crucial function in the learning and mastery processes for children. “Small children are truly the most persistent humans,” remarks one expert, emphasizing that their innate drive to master the world around them is expressed through repetition.
Why Toddlers Love Doing Things Again and Again?
There’s also a neurological underpinning to this phenomenon. Learning necessitates the formation of neural circuits, and repetition facilitates this intricate process. Charles Nelson, a neuroscientist from Harvard, elucidates, “Brain wiring is made possible by repetition. If you have a whole group of neurons that have to start to develop into a circuit, they need to be fired over and over. Neurons that fire together, wire together.”
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During a child’s early years, the brain experiences a surplus of synapses, the connections between neurons. This overproduction of synapses occurs from the late prenatal weeks through the first few years of a child’s life. This abundance allows for immense plasticity, enabling children to learn and develop new skills. Through experience and repetition, new neural circuits are established, and excess, unused synapses are pruned away.
Scientific Reasons
“What’s special about those first few years is it’s taking advantage of this immense plasticity because of this overabundance of synapses,” explains Nelson. This plasticity enables children to learn, develop, and establish neural pathways crucial for their growth and understanding of the world.
“We have a phrase – practice makes perfect. But for brain development, practice makes permanent,” says a childhood development expert. Children are like little scientists. They constantly test and retest to understand the rules of the world around them.
Consider a common scenario – a child throwing food off a highchair, followed by the dog eagerly snatching it up. “It’s this wonderful, satisfying game until the baby runs out of cheese and then throws the spoon off the side,” illustrates an expert. That’s how the baby learns that the spoon scares the dog away.
“All of a sudden the game has changed and they really learn about cause and effect, understanding how their actions influence the world around them.”
Why Repetition so Important in Learning for Toddlers?
As children engage in repetitive behaviors, they also find comfort in being able to predict outcomes. “There’s something so nurturing when you can anticipate exactly what will happen in a routine or in a story,” notes an expert.
This predictability shows clearly in our nightly routine with my son. We watch the same video about different trains and vehicles. I often guess the train type wrong on purpose, and he loves correcting me. To an outsider, it may seem repetitive, but it has taught him a lot about vehicles and their functions.
These nightly routines served as powerful learning tools. They introduced different types of trains and trucks and explained how each played a role in shaping the urban environment. At the same time, they created a comforting rhythm. Each night ended with our son slowly drifting off to sleep, his head resting in my lap.
Parents often face endless loops of repeated jokes, games, or stories. It’s important to know these actions help your child’s development. They’re not just repeating for fun—they’re practicing new skills and building the foundation of their growing brains.
Embrace the journey, for it’s a pivotal aspect of their developmental voyage.
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