Try and Try Again - Why children repeat the same motor skill over and over (and over)

Have you ever watched your child do the same activity over and over again and thought, 'what is he doing'? Up and down the stairs, up and down the stairs, again and again.  You think, 'ok, enough already, let's do something else.' On the playground has your daughter insisted on playing on the same piece of equipment for 10 minutes, even though you are ready to see her do something else?  And every parent has heard the dreaded, 'read it again!' as their child begs for their favorite book to be read for the hundredth time.  As annoying as it is to parents to witness or even have to participate in these repetitive actions of their children (especially toddlers), there is a developmental explanation for why they behave this way; and don't worry, it's actually a good thing.

In the Beginning
Babies truly are born a blank slate.  They come hard wired with protective reflexes, but they have to learn how to do every action from scanning a room to look for mom to running and skipping.  These skills do not develop without the opportunities to try; which is why tummy time is so important from very early on!   As babies build strength in their neck, torso, arms, and legs they are able to move around, slowly increasing their movement skills as they get older.  But babies hardly ever experience beginners luck; their skill acquisition comes through experimentation and hard work.  Take crawling for example, as a baby gains strength and balance, she challenges her abilities to get on her hands and knees, then lunge forward.  She will collapse the first few times she tries; she may even give up for a couple of days, but as she revisits this new motor skill and tries over and over she will start to get the hang of it.  Then one day, you look up to notice she is crawling across the floor, headed for her toys.  She continues to perfect her crawling abilities, a nd so begins the transition to the next motor milestone of pulling up to stand.  You will see this same pattern of experimenting with new abilities and the repitition with practicing until a baby has mastered a new skill.

The Drive to Master
The inner drive to master a new skill is an innate quality that everyone is born with.  Toddlers are the perfect example as they are constantly engrossed in figuring out how to do one thing or another on their own.  I'm sure you've heard "me do it!!" on a daily basis if you have or have had a two year old. Coupled with a new realization that they exist apart from mom, this drive to master new skills makes toddlers fiercely independent.  This new independence also brings out brand new behaviors and therefore a whole new bag of tricks needed to deal with these behaviors.  See the previous post on handling toddler behavior for help.  The drive to master new skills is actually a really important developmental trait, as it motivates young children to keep trying in order to get better at something.  At an age where every skill is a building block to new and more complex skills, this "try and try again" attitude is essential. 

The 'Just-Right Fit'
Because of this drive to master new skills and challenges in their environment (i.e toys, games, sports, playground equipment, etc) children young and old are motivated to stick with trying a new activity until they figure it out, but only if the level of challenge is just right.  It can't be too hard or too easy.  If the new activity is too difficulty and they do not have any small successes as they adjust their approach, then they will give up.  If an activity is too easy, they will do it quickly and skillfully and then move on to find something else with a little more challenge.  This is why babies don't play with Legos and older kids don't play with stacking rings.  If you find your child trying to do an activity or play with a toy that is age appropriate, but she is getting frustrated and defeated, then step in and provide small amount of assistance that allow your child to complete the activity successfully, but with as little help as possible.  Sometimes even modeling how to do it a couple of times can be helpful.  Then the next time she tries it, provide even less help.  With each repeated effort she will improve her skills and knowledge to be able to do it on her own.  Prodiving the smallest amount of assistance necessary to help a child do an activity that is just outside of their abilities to do independently is called 'scaffolding;' this strategy helps them learn how to do an activity or skill independently.  This theory also applies to other areas of learning.
When a child finds an activity or skill that is within this 'just right fit' range they will repeatedly try until they finally master it.  When an activity that has required scaffolding finally starts to fall within the 'just right fit' category a child will begin to work harder to get it right on their own.  This drive causes children to engage in the same activity over and over again until they are finally successful, then the success is fun for a while until they need another new challenge.

Bottom Line: In order to learn new skills and to become more independent children need to repeat activities over and over until they master them.  Ever time they make a new attempt their brain and body are making small adjustments to improve their abilities and therefore their success.  It is entirely normal and necessary for kids to do things over and over until they feel successful.  Interrupting these attempts at mastery can backfire and decrease a child's confidence in their own skills.  Reading books over and over is also important as with each repitition a child is making new connections, learning more about language and reading, and taking in new knowledge.  When your child can actually recite a favorite book or finish the sentences, you will understand how powerful reading books over and over can be.  So let your kids try and try and then try and try some more, encouraging them and offering assistance only when needed. 
And the disclaimer here is that you should obviously discourage your child from trying to engage in any activity or behavior that is harmful or developmentally inappropriate.

When Repetitive Behaviors Are Not Normal
Some types of repetitive behaviors are not normal and can be a sign of an Autism Spectrum Disorder or other disorder, such as OCD or even a severe sensory processing disorder. Repetitive behaviors that seem to have no purspose and happen on a daily basis for long durations, such as open/closing cupboards without getting into what's inside, lining objects up into straight lines or categories, or wandering without a destination goal are all examples of behaviors that are not developmentally appropriate and serve no purpose in acquiring new skills or knowledge. Repetitive behaviors that appear to be for sensory purposes, such as hand flapping, head banging, rocking, and pushing or crashing into objects and people can be indications of a developmental disorder, especially if they occur along with other non-purposeful repetitive behaviors, such as the ones previously described. If you have any concerns about your child, it is important to speak to your pediatrician without waiting too long. For children with a developmental disorder, such as Autism, early intervention is crucial and makes a huge difference in the potential progress of that child.