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Experts Say A Toddler's Obsession With Trucks Is Good For Their Development

Right now, my son is going through a big truck and train phase. Our car rides are peppered with joyful exclamations of "Truck!" and "Bus!" from the backseat as we drive.

I'm sure this scenario sounds familiar to a lot of parents out there, and you'll be glad to know that this interest in trucks is actually a positive development phase.

An interest in trucks, tractors, and trains is extremely common in toddlers.

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Every toddler seems to hit a point where they become obsessed with anything that has wheels.

Three researchers from The Univeristy of Virgina, Yale Univeristy School of Medicine, and the University of Queensland have authored a report on the surprising benefits of having an interest in trucks at a young age.

According to experts, an obsession with trucks is one of many "Extremely Intense Interests" (EII) documented in young children.

Unsplash | Greyson Joralemon

A few others that can come to mind are dinosaurs, balls, and playing dress-up.

Developing these EIIs might not happen with every child, but it shows their emerging personalities and preferences.

Unsplash | Sandy Millar

Parents can also use EII to encourage children to explore other areas of learning.

For example, a child with an EII in trucks might prefer books about trucks, and parents can encourage literacy by using these materials.

As toys, trucks also offer a number of growth benefits for young children.

Unsplash | Markus Spiske

Toy trucks encourage the development of gross motor skills as children push them and watch them roll.

As children get older, they can develop a number of other spatial skills by building courses for their trucks, or figuring out the best way to organize small objects inside a truck for transportation.

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