I freely admit that there's a lot I don't understand about kids...even my own. I've been a parent for (one month shy of) four years now and I can't begin to tell you how much I learn daily about the things my children love, like and seriously dislike. I know Mac loves soft clothes, AC/DC and sunglasses. Mim loves owls, Wreck-It-Ralph and slides. But there's also so much more that I don't understand about children. One being every single kid's obsession with trains. What is it about a train that makes a child lose their mind with excitement and awe?! Why do kids love trains so much?
When I think of trains these days, I think of an outdated old-fashioned mode of transportation. Honestly, before I had kids, I probably hadn't even thought about trains for years...other than the occasional glory days memory of drinking wine on a train through Europe with my law school friends or cussing at a train under my breath when I was stopped at the railroad tracks on my way to work, late as usual. But it seems like every child, boy or girl, from birth is programmed with an intense obsession with trains that I absolutely do not understand. From train tables to train shows (Chuggington, Thomas, Dinosaur Train, etc.) to train events (Polar Express) and train propaganda all over town, I feel like the train industry is possibly making more money from this crazy toddler train obsession than from actual train transportation stuff. Forget being a doctor, my kids want to be a train conductor! (Medical industry - seriously, you could take some pointers from the railroad industry's toddler marketing campaign.)
My children are no exception to the train brainwashing that's going on. They love trains and have bought (hook, line and sinker) into the whole "trains are AMAZING" mindset from birth. "Choo choo" was one of their first words (both kids), they love train shows, they are obsessed with their train table(s) and the sound of a train whistle will send them into absolute wild frenzy! I do not get it. I've been trying to get Mac to tell me some things about trains that might hopefully help me understand why he loves them so much, and here's what he had to say...
Mac: They're really big and super loud. Bigger and louder than my daddy!
Me: Yes, they are big and loud, but airplanes are faster than trains.
Mac: Airplanes are really far away and don't carry coal. And they don't have a whistle.
Me: Well, that's true. Do you like coal?
Mac: No.
Me: Do you like loud whistles?
Mac: No.
Me: Ok, then why do you like trains?
Mac: I just told you!!!
Me: Alright!
Mim: Trains!!!!
Me: Do you like trains?
Mim: Chooo chooo!!!
Me: Do you like trains?
Mim: Ok!
Me: Do you like trains?
Mim: Snack?
Are your kids obsessed with trains?
WHY?!!!
Hahahaha your conversations about trains are having me literally laughing out loud! And yes, why are trains so exciting to kids??? Noah's answer to what he wants to be when he grows up was a train driver. For me it's just the way Chris gets to work every day... Not very exciting.
ReplyDeleteHa ha!! OMG that was awesome! I love Mac's logic. I don't understand it, but it's pretty awesome. I'm not really sure what the big deal is either. I like trains, but there are other ways to get somewhere quicker, which you were trying to get through to Mac. There must be some sort of brainwashing in those kid's show that cause the obsession. :)
ReplyDeleteI love your conversation with Mac! Too funny. I love the pictures too - my kids would love that place!
ReplyDeletehaha! Yea, you're right?! What's with the obsession?! Owen use to be but not as much anymore They are so precious. Love all the gorgeous pics. And the converstations are hilarious. O and Claire were quite interested while I was reading this and both decided they wanted to play with Mac and Mim...... today! lol I wish!
ReplyDeleteTOTALLY agree, it's such a funny obsession. CHOO CHOO goes the train.
ReplyDeleteHaha I love their little conversations with you. So cute! I think trains are so awesome!! Elliot thinks so too. They're just cool machines!
ReplyDeleteOH gosh, my kids LOVE trains and I hate them. Lol. My hubby's BFF is a train engineer and any time we would travel with him we would always have to take a side trip to go see some dang train somewhere! Haha. I've learned to appreciate them a little more now that my babies love them so much, though. Things are always new and exciting when you see them through your kids' eyes. :o)
ReplyDeleteGreat photos, Sara!!! And pretty cute kids, we well. ;)
ReplyDeleteOk I absolutely adore all of these photos and yes trains. Scarlett is obsessed with trains, she loves watching Thomas the train and I can't stand it... it's basically the worst kids show ever!
ReplyDeleteWow these pictures are adorable!! That conversation is hilarious =)
ReplyDeleteYour lil interviews with them cracked me up - "snack?". Ha, ha! Your kiddos are just too cute.
ReplyDeleteI wonder too what the fascination with trains is as well. I don't recall ever really liking them but I know that one of my brothers really liked them a lot when he was younger. :)
My kids love trains too! These are great pictures. Were you at the Transportation Museum?
ReplyDeleteLove the conversation with Mim! She's definitely a girl...snack?? ha! Our kids love trains too. We can hear it really well from our house and Stella will whisper, "choo choo". We spend many-a-hours a week sitting waiting for trains. Love this place!
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome photo shoot and playtime for your kiddos. And both your kids seem to have it down pat why they like trains. ;-)
ReplyDeleteEvery single one of these pictures is just gorgeous! And somehow, now I want it to be Christmas and I want to be on the Polar Express. Hot cocoa please!
ReplyDeleteWe have so many train things around us, and we've done and seen them all. However, fine household favorite is the train that circles Disneyland. Naturally.
ReplyDeleteApparently it's a case of the sum being greater than its parts? I'm one month shy of three years as a parent, and I'm really throwing myself into all things vehicle/engine related, but I don't get it. I never liked that stuff as a kid. It was all cabbage patch dolls and ponies for me. What I THINK trains, and fast cars, and motorcycles seem to have in common is going fast, being loud, and the strong possibility for destruction, which seems to be big for little boys.
ReplyDeleteLOL- I totally laughed at work when reading your convo with Mim. :D HAHAHA. Kids are the best. But yes, what is it about trains? My 3 year old loves them too. I think it'd be so cool if the US had a train system like so many European countries do. I'd love to hop on a train to go visit friends in other states. Amtrak is severely lacking.
ReplyDeleteFunny!!! Hayden went through a short phase where he liked trains but he's more of a tractor kind of kid :) Brooks could take them or leave them. Kids are so funny!
ReplyDeleteYou live near a train depot?! Thats the root of your problem right there ;) We have some abandoned tracks thrown around town but no sign of the physical trains, so my girls don't have an obssession. Though I myself have a desire to go on a wine train in Napa!
ReplyDeleteThose trains!! So cool! You guys could just go there? That is awesome! At our old house we lived very close to the tracks & could hear the train multiple times a day. Sometimes it would be faint & other times it would be as if it was right in our backyard. To be honest, I actually miss the sounds of those noisy things. It was actually a bit therapeutic.
ReplyDeleteI love the pictures! I don't understand it either, but my kids love them!!!
ReplyDeleteAbbie loves trains too! I actually really like traveling by train, probably more than by plane. I just find it easier, and I love all the things that accompany them - the stations, the bustling people, the scenery going by... I don't know what it is, but I totally love them too - in fact my first trip by myself was by train! My grandma used to take the train to visit us all the time too, so it's just always been part of our family!
ReplyDeleteYou got some great photos of the kids! We went here recently and it was so cold and gloomy, I didn't take any photos. My son is 9 and he STILL loves trains. He wants to be a train conductor someday, too! He is really into electric trains right now, but when he was younger he was into all the Thomas trains. Kids really do love them!
ReplyDeleteCarrie
curlycraftymom.com
Trains are awesome! My mom and I used to travel by train a lot as a kid. So I love them, I also had a train set too. We haven't just introduced trains to Sophie, she seems to be into cars and tow trucks.
ReplyDeleteliz @ j for joiner
how are you there BY YOURSELVES?! it makes these pictures totally and completely perfect!
ReplyDeleteOkay, I love that Mac loves AC/DC. That’s awesome. And I admit, I am like a kid when it comes to trains. I find them fascinating and feel like there’s so much history in them. And so many stories in them. Mason’s teacher’s husband is a train conductor and Mason thinks it is the coolest thing ever. I’m dying over the conversation with Mac!! That boy is hilarious. These pictures are amazing, as always.
ReplyDeleteThis pictures are absolutely adorable!
ReplyDeleteFirst off, if your kid likes ACDC, you're obviously doing something right! Ha!! My kids are obsessed with trains (& fire trucks), too! Adorable pictures!
ReplyDelete