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- I let my 14-year-old skip school to take him to the Lego store opening. It was a reminder of his childhood for both of us. (businessinsider.com)
Brick-tastic Bonding: Why One Mom Let Her Teen Skip School for a Lego Store Grand Opening
Sometimes, the best lessons aren’t found in a textbook. Just ask one local mom who decided to let her 14-year-old son trade a school day for a “once-in-a-lifetime” trip to the grand opening of the new Lego store.
While it might sound like a frivolous excuse to ditch class, for Kristina Wright and her son, it was a memorable bonding experience that she doesn’t regret. The duo spent nearly two hours in line, surrounded by a good-natured crowd of fellow Lego enthusiasts, chatting and anticipating the big reveal.
“I’m not the kind of parent who encourages blowing off school for a trip to the mall,” Wright shared, “But for us, it was a once-in-a-lifetime moment – one of those small, strange, wonderful opportunities to make a memory I know we’ll both hold onto.”
Her son’s passion for Lego, which had waned during his younger years, has recently roared back with a teenage intensity. From tracking new releases to quoting “price per piece” statistics, his interest has rekindled. With the closest official Lego store previously over two hours away, the opening of a local branch was a big deal.
As they waited in line, Wright had a realization: both she and her son were clinging to Lego for similar reasons. “We’re both holding on to something that feels simple and uncomplicated in a world where everything seems to be accelerating for him,” she reflected.
At 14, her son is navigating the complex space between childhood and adulthood. He’s a busy, focused student involved in student council and Model UN, and volunteers weekly at the library. Lego, for him, has become a way to decompress and allow his brain (and emotions) a much-needed break from his increasingly adult responsibilities.
For Wright, taking her son out of school was about more than just bricks and minifigures. It was a chance to show him that even as he grows up, there’s still room for joy and silliness. It allowed him to experience the carefree excitement of being a kid, if only for a few hours, and for her, the joy of watching him completely in his element.
While they didn’t snag the coveted Gingerbread AT-AT Walker Lego set, they did come home with a few other treasures and, more importantly, a shared new memory. Wright envisions it as a story they’ll recount for years to come: “Remember that time we waited in line for hours at the new Lego store? That was wild!”
She concludes, “Grades matter. Attendance matters.
Preparing for the future matters. But so does carving out space to connect with my kid before the time slips away.”
It seems for this mom, making memories and fostering connection is a lesson well worth a day off.