Ruined toys, what's normal?

imaima

Sun, Jun 23 2024, 1:54 pm

amother OP wrote:

Ok so I think I can conclude that this is within the range of normal but if I invested more energy into policing the toy usage it wouldn't be this bad.

I'll also add that almost none of their toys were purchased by me so we have a lot of very random things that don't necessarily make sense and I would never have bought because they don't work for my kids so that's probably also contributing to how fast they get ruined

Grandparents should give with no strings attached. They have no business policing you about how the toys should be kept.

I once heard the saying that toys were made to be broken. I use it a lot. Mindlessly destroying toys is wrong but them being ruined during play time is normal

amother

Tanzanite

Sun, Jun 23 2024, 5:38 pm

Any plaything we got with five or more pieces lost one immediately upon receipt. I think there was an invisible space portal somewhere in our living room, a direct route to an alternate dimension, into which game pieces would slide and vanish forever. Must be, because even when the heavy furniture was moved away from the walls , the pieces never reappeared.

In any case, some kids are just harder on things than others, and the younger they are the harder they on on their things. "Policing" toy usage is a contradiction in terms. Toys are there for kids to play with; if they are being demolished, it's a sign they're being used. If you need to "police" the use, then you probably shouldn't possess those items.

My pet peeve is pop-up books. They're gorgeous and the engineering is incredibly clever, but they're delicate as butterfly wings. Why are they made for toddlers and preschoolers? I get so tired of mending and mending and mending them over and over again. These things should be made for adults.

amother

Sun, Jun 23 2024, 7:58 pm

amother Tanzanite wrote:

It feels like policing though. My life is busy, I work, when I'm home I'm usually making supper, doing laundry, breaking up fights, answering a bazillion questions, I really don't devote a lot of head space to "keep the puzzle on the table" "please pick up the piece you dropped" "don't take that out until you put the first one away" etc. When I do (usually after my mother or mother in law visit) I feel like I'm barking orders all afternoon just to keep toys alive.

amother

Brass

Today at 10:16 am

amother Dustypink wrote:

As others have said cheap toys could get ruined.

Teach your kids how to take care of their puzzles. Puzzles and board games are in a separate category. Puzzles get made only when all other toys are put away. Like the dining room. You have to be the one to put these toys on the shelf. Help your child count the peices. if you see a peice missing right away help your child look for the missing peice.

I keep out just a few loved book. What type depends on your kids. Sometimes a teething kid will chew on the board books. I like hard covered books with laminated pages. Its easy to wipe down. We tape those books thousands of times before we discard it. All other books I hold onto. I read it to the kids by story time,friday night and bedtime. Kids at 4 I have taught and trust not to rip.
Wood toys paint could come off as well as
Mitzvah kinder/kinder velt paint comes off very easily. Mitzvah kinder is tougher and has less small prices.
Playmobile/Mitzvah kinder/kinder velt I take away the small peices they only get them when it's all kids playing that toy on an empty floor and Im able to supervise.

Mega Blocs,duplo, Blocks clics are tough to leave out. You should be somewhat on top of your toddlers at playtime. To prevent them from throwing toys out the windows and into vents. Prices could also go under furniture.

Dolls and teddy bears get washed with linen. Toddlers that are attached to teddybears get washed weekly or even daily.

No toys, books, or games get played with real food. Nothing gets played in the kitchen or near food. We have separate outdoor toys and bath toys.
Toys don't go outside because they get lost and dirty.

You sound so organized! Can I ask how many kids you have and if you're a SAHM? I'm trying to wrap my head around how you manage this. FWIW I work 40 hours and have 5+ young ones KAH.

amother

Chocolate

Today at 11:07 am

I begin very youg teaching kids to respect toys. Obviously things still break but I really do give a lot of energy early on to teaching this skill. I also limit how many toys r out at a time. This helps. I dont need to police as my kids are good at following. The beginning is hard but once kids get the hang of it can relax. Also I dont run to fix broken things or replace them let kids feel sad when they break their stuff so they learn natural consequences. I empathize with their feeling not rub it in but also dont fix. When my daughter was about 4 she was bending her headband I asked what r u doing its going to break. She said dont worry totty will fix it. Thats when I learned this.

Bnei Berak 10

Today at 11:14 am

amother Chocolate wrote:

Finally a sane voice!
There is policing, there is playing and then there is being hellbent on breaking and ruining the item at any cost.
If you do the latter there simply don't be any toys to play with.
Lesson learned

LovesHashem

Today at 11:22 am

amother Brass wrote:

You sound so organized! Can I ask how many kids you have and if you're a SAHM? I'm trying to wrap my head around how you manage this. FWIW I work 40 hours and have 5+ young ones KAH.

I'm not that organized but I'm pretty organized. I think it helps we don't have a playroom so the playroom is the living room. So I have a sense of order and I'm not sorting toys every night we have a lot of rules like this and are careful with our toys.