Need Help With Mixed Age Groups

[Unregistered]

I've been looking through the posts on this forum lately for guidance with running my home daycare and I love how helpful and nice everyone seems to be!

I have a small daycare, two 3.5-year-old boys, a 16-month-old boy and a 15 month old girl. Since the younger two have started walking it has been challenging trying to get everyone to get along. The little ones usually want to follow the big boys around and play with them, but the big boys get frustrated because the little ones mess up the toys they're trying to play with. I have 2 play spaces I use for daycare (my living room and a playroom). A lot of the time I end up blocking the living room with gates and have the younger 2 play there with age appropriate toys and let the older 2 play in the playroom in peace.

So, I'm curious to know what other people do in this situation. The little ones do not like being confined to the living room, but when I let them all play together I hear a lot of "the baby's getting me" and "the baby took my __________". The big kids will also grab a bunch of toys and sit on them or take them into a corner so the younger ones can't take them.

I need help! There has got to be a better way!

[melilley]

I have two 3 year olds (p/t), two 2 year olds, one newly turned 1 year old and one 11 mo. old. I only have one main playroom and lately I have been running into the same thing with the 11 mo. old and 1 year old getting the other toys. I just constantly move them away and redirect them to another area. They almost always come back, but that's really the only thing that I can do.

[Kabob]

I sectioned off my play area for my non-walking baby and then the under 2 child here also gets his own area if he is not playing well with the 2 and older group.

I have taught the older kids simple signs and words to use to ask the younger child to stop taking toys/knocking over toys/etc. I let them try to work it out with some coaching here and there. I intervene when things look like they are gonna get rough. If the under 2 child is not within my immediate reach and he is getting too rough or frustrated with the older kids, he gets his own special play area until we transition to something else.

[melilley]

I have taught the older kids simple signs and words to use to ask the younger child to stop taking toys/knocking over toys/etc. I let them try to work it out with some coaching here and there.

This too.

[SignMeUp]

All of the above, plus I teach my bigger kids about the toddler brain ::

Give them some parts of the toy that you're using that you don't want - they will feel included.

If they have something in their hands that you want, either 1. wait a minute and they will put it down or 2. offer them something else and they will drop the thing you want.
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I also have a gated-off area of the main playroom that is only for preschoolers. If older preschoolers are extremely involved in something deep and complicated, I have them work on it there. The toddlers never play there and are accustomed to just watching over the gate when they're interested.

When those things stop working, it's probably time to help them start working it out with simple words, even if you have to translate for them

[Unregistered]

I have a 3.5 yo, a 2.5 yo, an 18month and 16 month and have the same issues. I bought a Superyard so that the big kids can go in and work on whatever they are doing without the babies bugging them. At first it was great, but unfortunately, now it only works for about 10 min. before the big kids want out. I lift them out, they start playing outside of the superyard and start complaining about the babies again, so I lift them back in. It is a huge pita and honestly, this really isn't working either. I am hoping that when my worst two are gone at the end of the month, that things will get better because it seems to be only those two who are at the root of all the problems.

I am definitely going to keep following this thread though. I need help too!

Monkey Toes