Anyone Have Mostly Toddlers?

[DancingQueen]

I have 3 kids that are all about the same size and developmental stage. 21 months to 30 months in age.

Then i have a 4 year old and my dd who is 5.

I have a really hard time with the toddlers and their behavior effecting the older two.

The toddlers are in the lovely phase where their entire day consist of the following..
* saying "NO! MINE!" at the top of their lungs
* saying "NO!" at the top of their lungs
* snatching toys away from others
* crying when said child doesn't stand for it
* throwing toys
* biting when we don't get our way (I have one biter - I can usually catch her with her mouth open so luckily we haven't had any real problems but it doesn't stop her from trying)
* running and screaming through the house
* stopping the running and screaming when they are told to stop - only to start up again in 30 seconds.
*constantly worrying about what others are doign and freaking out if they are anywhere too close to them or a toy they may in the future want to play with.

The older two play amazingly well with eachother. What fascinating imaginations they have! I try very hard to give them time to themselves to play in a seperate area - but it isn't always possible with my house being so small.

I'd love to have a craft table where they could color and cut whenever - but the others would get into it and stuff would be everywhere all the time

Even craft time is miserable with this age.

I used to go to the park atleast once a week and I can't even do that anymore because the three young ones will bolt in three different directions and laugh while I chase them so we're grounded here at my house.

I would just love suggestions on things to do with them (besides constantly keeping them engaged - because I try but it is exhausting) that will stop all of this behavior. I stay on them, I don't let them get away with it and I am pretty harsh about it too. But they seem to feed off eachother.

[Unregistered]

I have 3 toddlers all day in daycare ages 1,2, and 3 the 3 year old is mine. I would suggest setting limits when you go outside my kids know where they can go and not go and if they break the limit they go to time out, they take toys, hit, etc time out they go they behave pretty well because I stick to it might wanna try some time outs on those little ones. I do deal with the mine mine, and the crying uhhhhh the crying and whining they do when they cant have there way it drives me batty sometimes LOL.

[daycare]

I have all toddlers, they are a little older now, but when they all started they were about 2 with a few olders ages 3.5 and 4

What I did was make two different tables for lessons. Then I paired an older child with a younger child. This way there was not constant fighting and the older child actually helped the younger. I also had crafts that ALL of the kids could do reglardless of age.

Then I would let the younger kids play toys in the same room, but then would sit at the table with the older ones and teach them to cut with scissors (basically things the little ones could not)

If the younger ones keep fighting while you are trying to teach the older ones, then seperate them from each other and have them do solo play..

[nannyde]

So you have two great players. The four year old and the five year old.

Put the five year old with the youngest kid (21 month old) and have them play together.

Put the four year old with the next youngest and have them play together.

The middle child should float in between the two groups.

Do that every day for a few weeks and then rotate out the 21 month old and the next to the between the two oldest so that the younger two have a chance to play with both of them.

There's only a three year age difference between your oldest and youngest so you should easily be able to manage them playing together.

Don't protect the play and happiness of your child. Make sure that ALL of the kids play together and rotate them with each other. If you are trying to keep the oldest kid in the daycare (the four year old) available for your child you will have problems every day with the younger kids.