Getting So Frustrated - Toys in the Way

[laundryduchess@yahoo.com]

Mac...I dont let them have the tubs, I dump them on the floor,.. I am very firm with the kids and they dont touch things that arent supposed to be played with. I have picture frames on my entertainment stand, remotes on the couch. I am very blessed with the group I have. I think thats why I love having a mixed age group so much, I get them at 5-6 weeks and kep themto kindergarten sometimes 1-3rd grade. They know the rules.

[momofboys]

Thank you for this post. Lately I feel like my house is sooooo cluttered with toys/play things despite my best attempts to keep things straightened out. It's amplified to the thousand b/c I also have 3 boys (8, 6 & 2) of my own. I do keep some toys in bins but what do you do with some of the bigger toys? We have several ride-on toys that the toddlers ride on. Sometimes I put them in the garage to get them out of the way but it can be a hassle to bring them in & out.

[Carole's Daycare]

I have ages infant thru school age, it is mostly my 18 mo olds to ages 3 that are the culprits. I get tired of telling them over and over "One thing at a time", to "Pick up", and stepping over and tripping on things, etc. Sometimes the 4 yr olds are just as guilty. As far as the child who was throwing the toy on the upper shelf and the child who was hanging on the shelf, they both got to spend some quality time in time out on several occassions, problem is, they keep doing it again.....time outs are worthless punishment in my opinion. While I know I can attach the shelf unit to the wall, I don't want to. These kids will never learn as long as society continues to cater to their bad behavior. I will be doing some major rearranging this weekend. I guess I will be going back to everything in clear tubs and stack them up, and get 1 out each day and rotate things out daily, instead of having everything available at once.

I too have small things in the plastic shoebox containers......only to have the kids walk on them, stand on them, sit on them, and bust them up. Sometimes it is a no win situation......my life would be so different if we could "actually discipline" these children.....yes, I mean a firm swat on the butt.

Former Teacher----Thanks for sharing your story. That is crazy. Manipulating kids. GRR. Honesty, there are many a times I will sit the kids at the little tables for quiet activities, and I will pick out and give them things to do. I have lots of preschool activities---not toys---in a 2 door cabinet, and find my days are much more bearable when the kids are "under" control of me vs "their own control" of things.

I understand completely what you mean. That's why I limit free play time- after a while it escalates to chaos and mess. Interupting free play w/ a clean up and then doing an activity- or rotating small groups through different guided activities makes the day go better for all of us, and is much easier on my house. Parents don't raise kids with any sense of respect or responsibility. I tell them "I don't go to your house and break your things. No- this isn't YOURS, its MINE. I share my things with you, but not if you break them or fight over them. I understand the BS that teacher went through- but whether people think the kids are supposed to be in charge or not, I WILL teach them to respect others and to respect property and that there are consequences. Kids who've never had a "NO!", or been disciplined for hitting, or throwing fits, never learn self control and self discipline. Behavior that parents try to excuse in a 3 yr old lands them in juvie at 13

[mac60]

Janarae.......I do not have riding toys in my house. Those are saved for outside play. I can't imagine what my family room would look like with them riding in here, nor do I have room to store them. I would take them out until the warm weather returns.

[originalkat]

I agree

I understand completely what you mean. That's why I limit free play time- after a while it escalates to chaos and mess. Interupting free play w/ a clean up and then doing an activity- or rotating small groups through different guided activities makes the day go better for all of us, and is much easier on my house. Parents don't raise kids with any sense of respect or responsibility. I tell them "I don't go to your house and break your things. No- this isn't YOURS, its MINE. I share my things with you, but not if you break them or fight over them. I understand the BS that teacher went through- but whether people think the kids are supposed to be in charge or not, I WILL teach them to respect others and to respect property and that there are consequences. Kids who've never had a "NO!", or been disciplined for hitting, or throwing fits, never learn self control and self discipline. Behavior that parents try to excuse in a 3 yr old lands them in juvie at 13

Well said Carole... Teach them right when they are small and the consequence is small or they will only get bigger and pay a MUCH bigger price!

[momofboys]

Janarae.......I do not have riding toys in my house. Those are saved for outside play. I can't imagine what my family room would look like with them riding in here, nor do I have room to store them. I would take them out until the warm weather returns.

I should have clarified that, these aren't big ride-ons--simply ones suitable for 12-24 month olds. Not like a big wheel, more like a little truck or little school bus for kids to ride on & push around with their legs. But they still take up space.

[mac60]

Well, I spent Friday night rearranging, disinfecting, and organizing my dc area. I removed the tall shelf. I now have:

1-3 shelf unit with toys on the shelves that are bigger and can't get dumped.
2 clear tubs with lids with various toys in them that I will rotate out daily.
Kitchen set.
2 childrens tables with chairs.
1 container of books
4 preschool posters with alphabet, counting, colors, shapes

I also have a very large 2 door storage cabinet packed full of preschool activities: magnet boards, chalk boards, various blocks, other toys, puzzles, matchbox cars, stringing beads, baby toys, all the containers with small things like animals, dominos, etc. The kids are NOT allowed in this cabinet. They must ask for an activity out of it. (This is how I did it before, kids had to ask for things not out, then I felt guilty, so I put most everything out--toys--not small containers of things---Now I know WHY I had switched to the behind the door system. Never again will everything be out.

My room looks much more organized, there is much less out to get dumped, and I am looking forward to a much more organized week ahead.

[Chickenhauler]

On top of that, one of my ornery girls keeps throwing things on the upper shelf trying to "keep it away from someone else", and this little boy jumps up and hangs on the shelf. I really didn't want to have to screw the shelf unit to the wall. I am thinking of doing away with the whole thing.

You have bookcases in child play areas that are not secured from tipping?

Here, that's an automatic FAIL on an inspection.

[mac60]

Yes I did. I believe that kids need to learn what is right and wrong, and I will be damned if I am screwing a shelf unit to my family room wall. It is gone now along with 75% of the toys, which are now behind closed doors in a storage cabinet which is not screwed to my wall and never will be, and lidded tubs.

I did have a short shelf unit sitting behind my loveseat (which divides off the back of my family room for the daycare area), the little brats keep crawaling between my love seat and the back of the shelf unit.....I suppose I should screw it to my love seat???? Sorry, don't mean to be a smart butt, just really sick of brats and parents who don't discipline. This is my home, and it will treated as such. If society would allow people to truly discipline children, this would be such a better world. I can only imagine what our society will be like when these brats become adults.

[Michael]

Congratulations Mac60 for hitting 500 posts today!

[Chickenhauler]

Yes I did. I believe that kids need to learn what is right and wrong, and I will be damned if I am screwing a shelf unit to my family room wall. It is gone now along with 75% of the toys, which are now behind closed doors in a storage cabinet which is not screwed to my wall and never will be, and lidded tubs.

I did have a short shelf unit sitting behind my loveseat (which divides off the back of my family room for the daycare area), the little brats keep crawaling between my love seat and the back of the shelf unit.....I suppose I should screw it to my love seat???? Sorry, don't mean to be a smart butt, just really sick of brats and parents who don't discipline. This is my home, and it will treated as such. If society would allow people to truly discipline children, this would be such a better world. I can only imagine what our society will be like when these brats become adults.

Learning right from wrong is one thing, being dead is another. A large bookcase is deadly to a toddler.

[mac60]

There was no way that bookcase could of fallen on anyone......it was in an area that led to a bedroom that was like a mini hall, if it would of fallen forward......it would of fallen into the wall across from it. This is my home and my families home and will treated as such, not as an intstituionalized setting.

[Chickenhauler]

There was no way that bookcase could of fallen on anyone......it was in an area that led to a bedroom that was like a mini hall, if it would of fallen forward......it would of fallen into the wall across from it. This is my home and my families home and will treated as such, not as an intstituionalized setting.

It's not just the bookcase, but the items that are on it that can fall on the child. How much force do you think it takes to snap a toddlers neck? I'm going to bet not much. Best case scenario, bruises and bumps, maybe a concussion.


It's quite simple and unobtrusive (unless you're freakishly tall) to secure a bookcase to prevent accidents....well, it would be an accident, it would be classified as negligence.

http://www.cityofdearborn.org/departments/fire/emergencydocs/bookcases.htm

[mac60]

Whatever, there was nothing on that shelving unit besides toys and it is ALL GONE NOW. Guess I'll go screw my kitchen chairs to the floor, since those have been flipped over occassionally because they don't know how to sit on them right after being told over and over and removed from them......or make everyone start wearing a helmet during mealtime for that just in case moment. It comes down to not being able to discipline children.

[Carole's Daycare]

I like the helmet idea- I've had a few kids over the years that I really thought could use them. It's kind of a standing joke (I know, I know, a bad and tasteless one- sorry) at my house- Boy I should put insert name in a helemt, or He needs a helmet.

On the home organizing front- I'm thinking of getting rid of some of my open toy storage and going for neutal and wood bin system and a closed wooden toy bench(w/ safety hinges) to make my house look less like a preschool. I guess after almost 9 ys my eyes need a rest?