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.