How Do You Separate Toys? Or Do You?

[Ariana]

I'd really like to find a way to keep my daughter's toys separate from the daycare toys. Do any of you do this? I'm finding that her gifts from grandparents etc are being used by the daycare kids and it makes me feel uncomfortable because I don't want them to break and I don't want her to feel she has to share everything.

I'm also getting her some Playmobil sets for Christmas and there is no way my 20 month old can play with it as she puts everything in her mouth. I have a small house so 2/3 of my basement is my daycare, part of my living room is also used for daycare when I'm making lunch (so a few toys and books in this space). I feel like there are toys everywhere but nowhere for my daughter to play with her stuff "after hours". hopefully this makes sense!!

Thanks

[SilverSabre25]

Yes, we separate to some degree. I know EXACTLY how you feel about the grandparent gifts, etc!!!

How old is your DD? Does she have her own room?

What we do for my 4 yo DD is that she has her own room (well, that would be true regardless of daycare actually) and she has toys in her room--the special things or things that I don't want out in the daycare but she wants to play with, and the things that I don't want the daycare to have access to. This is convenient because she can also keep the things that I don't want my 6 month old DS to have access to either!!! Like the Littlest Pet Shops that DD is getting for Xmas...at least, according to Santa she is anyway DD is allowed to play in her room whenever she wants during the day.

If your DD doesn't have her own room, perhaps you could make space in a closet or a cupboard? A dresser? A special shelf or cabinet that you could buy/assemble/move? Even something in your room, perhaps?

[Crazy8]

I have 3 kids of my own and I have always kept their toys separate. I have a playroom for the daycare kids so my own kids toys would either be in their bedrooms or in our family room, which isn't used by daycare kids.

When my kids outgrew their toys or they weren't interested in them anymore then I'd add them to the daycare. My kids have always lived by the rule if you don't want to share it, don't bring it in the playroom.

[krissy_mo]

We are very low income family, so most of our toys have been thrift store finds that I make pretty much community property.

I don't have an actual daycare, just a mom that watches the state legal limit for unlicensed care. So, I just have a small home and the daycare kids play right along with mine. In their bedrooms, etc.

However, anything my kids couldn't share or that was special or that would get used up or broken would get put either on the top shelf of their closets (off-limits to anyone during the day) or in their "keep sake" boxes (underbed storage boxes we also taught the DC kids to respect.)

They knew that these toys weren't for DC hours, and yeah, seemed unfair a little because they couldn't play with them except after hours.... but the DC was helping provide the roof over their heads, so I guess they just had to deal with it. LOL!

Since we moved and I've only gotten one three year old so far in the new location, we are just teaching her to respect my eldest daughter's room (along with my own three year old)... and they aren't allowed in there unless my elder daughter lets them. My son isn't as particular, and he shares a room with my youngest, so he's used to having her around... but he still has his keepsake box and a spot in his drawer to keep a few things.

I know I will have to change their sleeping arrangements when they get older, and put my girls together, and the boy on his own, but for now this works better. My son is a little afraid of the dark, so he prefers having his baby sister in the bunk beneath him and he's absolutely patient and actually enjoys her company sometimes. She absolutely thinks he hangs to moon, and my older daughter really can't stand having either of them around, and she hates the idea of having to share a room someday.

[Rachel]

I am lucky to actually have 2 playrooms. There is an alcove off my LR which is t he daycare room (they go into the LR also, but the toys are all stored there). All the 0 - 3 toys are there. Downstairs we ahve an extra bedroom which my kids use as a playroom (mine are almost 4, 6.5, and 2x almost 8). There are a few 0 - 3 toys down there (the Thomas tracks), and sometimes I do rotate, but my kids know upstairs toys stay upstairs, and downstairs ones downstairs.

[Meyou]

My dd keeps anything she doesn't want to share in her room. We move it to the playroom as she outgrows them.

[Cat Herder]

My dd keeps anything she doesn't want to share in her room. We move it to the playroom as she outgrows them.

This is how we did it, too. No DCK's in my own kids private spaces.

[SimpleMom]

HI! Yes, I do seperate. Sorry, I haven't had a chance to read the other responses.

What I do is this:
When I had my dc upstairs and shared, I had my kid's toys in their rooms. No dc were allowed in there. That worked really well.
My mom used to do childcare when we were growing up and she usually did the same. For the rooms where the kiddos slept, she just put certain toys up on a shelf during that time.

[Ariana]

Thanks everyone! She has her own room and we also have a spare room since she's the only child I have (she's 2.5). I've been considering making the spare room her "play room" for after hours but wanted to see if and what others did too. Maybe if I come up with a good storage solution I won't feel like every room in my house has toys in it and we can also use the spare room for guests!!!

I guess that just comes with the job

[Meyou]

Thanks everyone! She has her own room and we also have a spare room since she's the only child I have (she's 2.5). I've been considering making the spare room her "play room" for after hours but wanted to see if and what others did too. Maybe if I come up with a good storage solution I won't feel like every room in my house has toys in it and we can also use the spare room for guests!!!

I guess that just comes with the job

Haha, it does! I've been slowly replacing my furniture that is used for DC with pieces that are functional but look like nice furniture when there are no kids here. I'm going from a bookshelf with big multicolored bins for the kids things to a nice piece with pretty baskets for my front entry this weekend. I can't wait!

[wdmmom]

We have 2 separate playrooms. The lower level playroom is split in half...half for daycare, half makes as an extra living room. Anything beyond the couch is "Safe". Anything in the daycare area is community property. The other daycare room is 100% dedicated space for the daycare. My kids go in there to watch tv or play a game on the floor but anything left in there is fair game.

[MarinaVanessa]

Yes I seperate their toys. My kids have their own toys that are theirs and I have seperate toys for the DC that are MINE. My sons toys are in the DC play space right now becase he's only 1 and none of the other kids really play with the baby toys. My DD on the other hand keeps her toys in her own room. She can bring them into the DC space if they are safe enough for the babies and if she is willing to share, otherwise they need to stay in her room.

When they get new toys or they outgrow their old toys then those get donated to the DC if they are appropriate and they become MY toys. This helps my DD feel like she has personal space and possesions and keeps her from being able to claim toys in the DC space. It helps out a lot.

[kendallina]

We also separate our toys here. My DD (3) has her own room that is not used during preschool. The preschool kiddos use the playroom with preschool toys. Lily knows not to bring her own toys in the playroom.

Preschool kids also play in the livingroom a little bit. My own DD doesn't play much in her bedroom, plays mostly in the livingroom when the preschool kids aren't here, so she always has some toys in the livingroom, which we put in small containers in the laundry room when the preschool kids are here.

Before preschool every day we have a quick discussion about what toys are in the livingroom and whether she wants preschool friends to use them or not. Sometimes she does, sometimes she does not, so they get put away.

[Mrs. CC]

I have a HUGE rubbermaid container (maybe 2-3 feet tall and 4-5 feet long.

All Daycare toys go into this tub at night after being disinfected.