Boys Playing with Toy Cars....

[Unregistered]

What kind of rules do you have for the kids playing with cars? I have 4 dcb and they love playing with cars but it always ends up getting carried away and someone gets hurt or they get rough or they end up breaking it. I dont' allow them to run with the cars but it ends up being more than a walk but not quite a run, and they go back and forth from one room to the other then they start running into each other and smashing them into each other and they push on them so hard they have broke the wheels off. So I don't want to be mean but I tell them that if they can't play in the same general area and not crash into each other and not run they can't play with them, so it always starts out nicely then as more boys come for the day the more carried away it gets, so when they are playing in the same room they are all going around in cicrles and someone ends up running into someone, I think because they are all playing. So just curious am I being mean if I tell them no more even going back and forth they have to sit and play with them? How do you guys handle the cars and boys? The cars are such a big deal here because I have so many boys. It gets so frustrating.

[DBug]

I've got two boys of my own, and have watched several "energetic" boys over the years (a few of which are now medicated). It took me a bit to figure out, but I realized you have to spell it out to them. For example, telling them in a stern voice "You may NOT crash the cars." "You may NOT run into each other" "You may NOT stand on his head." ... you get the idea. They need it put succinctly and simply, without alot of extra words. If they continue with the behaviour, the toy gets put away. Don't worry about coming off as mean. In my experience, boys tend to appreciate knowing the boundaries and don't often get their feelings hurt by a firm word now and then.

[jen]

We have a car mat, you know, one of those rugs with a town on it. I make them stay on the car mat when playing cars. That way, they have to stay put. they still crash once in awhile, but more often than not it eliminates the rough-housing and they do more fantasy type play..

[momofsix]

I have a car mat too, and some fisher-price ramps they may use, and the boys stay on those w/ the cars. Sometimes we will take blocks and make a "city" for the cars. Cars haven't really been a problem here (knock on wood!) But I understand what you mean--my own children were all girls, then i had all boys for dc--what a HUGE difference! I really had to change MY expectations and allow for more physical stuff so that they could be boys--that was HARD for me!
You might have to put the cars the cars away for a while, since they're now in the "habit" of playing that way with them. Are these little hot-wheels type cars, or bigger ones?

[kitkat]

I don't allow the running or crashing either. There is nothing wrong with giving the cars a time out when the boys aren't following the rules. Having a designated car area will definitely help. Some other suggestions are:

1. Allow only 2 boys to play with cars at one time.
2. Each boy only gets 1 car til they can play nicely together.
3. Only have the cars out for a certain amount of time each day.

[Unregistered]

Thanks, it is really hard for me too, I have 2 kids and my daughter was never into cars and my son just never got loud and rough with them. They play with all kinds, matchbox cars which they really dont get carried away with it's the bigger ones, the ones they can run and push around on the floor, it's not just the car crashing its any and all play they do with them but it's the as they are going back and forth they themselves have to roll and crash and do these stunts that just aren't ok in the house, it's mainly 2 boys I have, one will roll over the top of the other. I do take them away ALL the time, they get 3 warnings. That's a really good idea with the car mat I will definetly invest in one, I have thought many times about buying one and I think I will give that a try, I think in the mean time I'm only going to let them play with the matchbox cars and give the "bigger" ones a break.