Broken or lost toys on daily basis!

**hectors house** · 15-07-2013, 03:13 PM

Just wondered if anyone else has this problem - something seems to get lost or broken (by accident or on purpose) on a daily basis - chalks stamped on, brittle toy box lid in garden stamped on, books ripped, puzzle pieces that vanish -flights pulled off outside velco dart game, today I opened for first time a "boing boing" bat and ball set, just been tidying up garden before everyone came in for tea and one of the bats has vanished - have searched high and low for it. It's been played with for just one afternoon and may as well put rest of it in bin now

I think the mindees have realised I'm cross and upset - I said to them "shall I come to your house and break or loose your toys"!

**VeggieSausage** · 15-07-2013, 03:26 PM

Yes can be a problem and it is annoying....

**FizzWizz** · 15-07-2013, 03:33 PM

My pet hate too! My worst is puzzles. No matter how I arrange them or where I put them, the puzzles I put out all end up missing one piece that usually turns up about three months later- it's honestly a skill, I am not sure how the kids can hide things frame this effectively!

**maisiemog** · 15-07-2013, 03:52 PM

Originally Posted by butterscotch

My pet hate too! My worst is puzzles. No matter how I arrange them or where I put them, the puzzles I put out all end up missing one piece that usually turns up about three months later- it's honestly a skill, I am not sure how the kids can hide things frame this effectively!

I'm with you on this one! I'm now mean and they can only do puzzles on the dining table on a tray!!! I've had hundreds of them over the uears

**jackie 7** · 15-07-2013, 04:09 PM

I put the trains out built 2 tracks. They tried to pull the trains apart. Then found them throwing them. I caught one darling pulling the petals off my flowers.

**Petshrinklj** · 15-07-2013, 04:09 PM

Oh dear . This is something I am really going to struggle with. I hate toys gettin lost or broken. My kids are really good as they know I strop if anything gets lost or broken lol. But I'm worried when I get mindees. I can't stand lids being left off felttips and glue sticks either so they dry out. Grr cross just thinking about it.

**oxfordshirecm** · 15-07-2013, 04:46 PM

This is one of my pet hates- I have seen so many new toys I know my mindees would live but refuse to get anything as what's the point

**Koala** · 15-07-2013, 05:02 PM

I am at the point now where I am VERY cautious about what I buy, I have spent a fortune frequently on items to be trashed, so now I am very careful.

But I accept if it is given to the children to play with I have to accept that it may be the last I see of it.

**Mrsh3103** · 15-07-2013, 05:10 PM

I get so upset when toys get broken deliberately. I can cope if its an accident but can't stand kids who break them for the sake of it!

**Samijanec** · 15-07-2013, 05:12 PM

I know that feeling, I catch my mindees being so rough with the toys, they really don't care if they break them and often just shrug their shoulders when they do and I say something.
I've threatened them with the fact that if they deliberately break one of my toys then mum is going to bring one of theirs in to replace it. Seems to be working!!

**oxfordshirecm** · 15-07-2013, 05:26 PM

I tried that but it went in one ear and out the other- actually went through with it still n difference

**hectors house** · 15-07-2013, 05:35 PM

I wonder if they get in the mind set of "I can do whatever I want with that toy" from Nursery - after all it doesn't come out of Nursery staff's own pocket to buy replacement does it! The

bat still hasn't turned up - I expected to possibly lose a ball but how can the bat have gone missing?

**ziggy** · 15-07-2013, 05:54 PM

I've noticed since i reduced amount of toys available each day things have improved. I only offer 2 boxes of toys in playroom now, these can be changed as often as required.
When all the toys were out things got thrown all over, stood on and broken, now they are much better and very few get damaged or broken.

**Samijanec** · 15-07-2013, 06:15 PM

Originally Posted by hectors house

I wonder if they get in the mind set of "I can do whatever I want with that toy" from Nursery - after all it doesn't come out of Nursery staff's own pocket to buy replacement does it! The

bat still hasn't turned up - I expected to possibly lose a ball but how can the bat have gone missing?

Didn't you notice and of them walking with a limp and a bat down their trouser leg?

**Kiddleywinks** · 15-07-2013, 07:36 PM

Originally Posted by hectors house

I said to them "shall I come to your house and break or loose your toys"!

My 4 yr old little destruction expert replied with: 'Mine are already broke'

No answer to that really as I believed him

I now limit what comes out, and if I see even a whiff of willful destruction, it goes in 'the box' and stays there till the weekend when I sort out the box out.
It's taken a while, but I have less and less toys getting lost, mislaid, or damaged so the message must be getting through

**playday** · 15-07-2013, 08:03 PM

I have some positive rules, and one of them is WE LOOK AFTER OUR TOYS, it works amazingly well! Hearing me repeat that a few times for the first few days and they soon realise it's better to look after them than to have me keep reminding them! When I put out a new toy I tell them that it is new and we need to look after it so it will last a long time and then we can play with it for a long time. When toys do get broken they usually come and tell me what it is and how it got broken, we then work out what we should have done to look after it better.

**wendywu** · 15-07-2013, 08:37 PM

Originally Posted by ziggy

I've noticed since i reduced amount of toys available each day things have improved. I only offer 2 boxes of toys in playroom now, these can be changed as often as required.
When all the toys were out things got thrown all over, stood on and broken, now they are much better and very few get damaged or broken.

There was a link to an article somewhere on the other FB group as to why fewer toys benefit our children and one of the reasons was that they take better care of them when there are not so many. The whole article was very interesting

**clareelizabeth1** · 15-07-2013, 10:04 PM

I find my nieces are the worst for breaking toys, all their toys are cheap plasticky and they get a new one the second they break one so its like they are getting rewarded. So when they come to mine they try to treat mine like they treat theirs. They got banned from the play room. Have yet to let them back in.

Fewer toys helps as children can't then just go to something else. I also never replace a broken toy once its gone its gone. I find that works very well with school children. I have not had any lids off felt tip pens after they went a month without them.

**Supernanny86** · 16-07-2013, 03:05 AM

I have one that just throws and generally results in a broken toy

**Roseolivia** · 16-07-2013, 07:13 AM

I have this all the time at the moment, I think I have too many toys out as I have a playroom so everything is on show. My main problem is a 10yr old who respects nothing. He's worse outside, throws balls and eggs (from egg and spoon game) over my roof. I went mad with him last week as he lied about it and only admitted it when I said my mum had seen him do it. I think come September once I've had a well deserved break things in my house are going to change.