People with your own babies... what do you do about toys?

**buzzy bee** · 02-01-2011, 09:17 PM

When my son is old enough, he can decide whether he wants to share his toys but he's only 1 so I just wondered what other people do?

He's just had loads of new toys for xmas, including a big rocker which I intend to let all the kids play with.

His other toys, I don't know whether to keep in his room or keep downstairs in which case my mindees can also play with them.

He'll get more play from them if they're downstairs but then they'll also get played with and slobbered on and possibly broken or damaged by other mindees... what a dilemma!!

**georgie456** · 02-01-2011, 09:23 PM

My eldest was only a year when I started minding so I just kept all toys downstairs but as she has got older (she is almost 6 now) and my son has arrived, we have made sure their toys and the minding toys have been kept separate. We did have a couple of occasions when certain things got damaged that were "hers" and she got so upset - that was the decider for us!

Both my children now keep their special things in their rooms in toyboxes and these come out when the mindees have gone home.

**Blaze** · 02-01-2011, 09:39 PM

I started minding when my son was 1 & have since had another baby...when they are old enough - downstairs toys are share toys & other toys are kept in their bedrroms...until that time it depended on my hours...if i was part time then they were kept upstairs in a box whilst minding then bought downstairs when I wasn't working...when i have worked full time then there was a special downstairs box that were my own children's toys - but sharing was encouraged & it worked both ways if I have a mindee that has a special comfort toy / item then other children including my own are taught not to touch IYSWIM...Unless I have a particularly destructive mindee then there are weekday toys & weekend toys !!!!...it is a toughy!!!

**mamasheshe** · 02-01-2011, 09:49 PM

we keep anything special/new upstairs in minding hours for the most part my dds aged 3and 6 are very good and share most things i have warned them I'm working Tuesday and they need to start thinking about anything that needs to be put upstairs.

**snufflepuff** · 02-01-2011, 10:26 PM

My son will be 2 in February and I have been thinking about this alot. My mindees are currently 23 months and 19 months, so none of the children are old enough to understand sharing or possession. So far he has been very good about the others using his toys.

My son is not yet old enough for me to explain that he can pick some toys to stay upstairs- but once he understands this is what i will do. I do already keep some things for his use only though- things that I don't want ruined or certain presents from people.

**AliceK** · 02-01-2011, 10:31 PM

Originally Posted by mamasheshe

we keep anything special/new upstairs in minding hours for the most part my dds aged 3and 6 are very good and share most things i have warned them I'm working Tuesday and they need to start thinking about anything that needs to be put upstairs.

Same here. I have taken some special stuff upstairs and put in my childrens rooms (DS aged 6 and DD aged 3) and the rest I have left downstairs and will see how it goes. As DD is only 3 I don't trust her fully to play upstairs unsupervised yet so I'm not sure how it's going to work. Usually it's the older mindees that get too rough with her things and need a reminder to respect the toys

xxxxx

**buzzy bee** · 02-01-2011, 10:42 PM

thanks for the replies everyone.

hmm the present thing is a tricky one too... one of my friends has even asked if i'll be keeping his pressies upstairs, and said that she'd be horrified if any of the other kids ruined the pressies she got for my son (as would i of course)

But it does put me in a tough position... and I wonder what other people will think if they realise other kids play with his presents!

Of course eventually he'll grow too old for them and they'll end up downstairs anyway... in the same way that if I wasn't a childminder I would give them to charity or a friend with younger kids...

**Cazz** · 02-01-2011, 11:26 PM

My daughter was 3 a couple of weeks ago and I started minding just over a year ago when she was nearly 2. I've always had a "special box" which has her favourite/special toys in it and it only comes downstairs at weekends or when I've not got mindees during the week.

She knows this and sometimes asks for her "special box" at the weekend and it keeps her entertained for quite a while because she's not seeing the things every day.

I think it's important that our own children have some things to themselves - although she is very good at sharing and most of the parents comment and praise her for this.

I had a four year old boy the week before Christmas and he picked up a toy which obviously didn't appeal to him and just threw it across the room on my laminate floor. I was not very pleased and explained to him that these are Megan's toys and he must not throw them as he would be upset if someone came to his house and started throwing his toys and possibly broke them.

**singlewiththree** · 03-01-2011, 10:36 AM

I'm due to work in half an hour and just said to my girls now 4,5,9 that any special toys they don't want the other children to play with need to go upstairs. They are old enough to understand at 1 I would just put upstairs the toys you know are special and bring them down at quiet times.

**loocyloo** · 03-01-2011, 11:22 AM

my DS was 18 mths when i started minding. i have always kept 'his' ( and since she was born, DDs ) toys upstairs.

any toys downstairs are for sharing without any fussing! DS is now 8, and when he decides he doesn't want anything anymore, he donates to 'mummies toys' !!! DD ( 5 ) has just given me a pile of sticker books she doesn't want, and says they can go in the sticker box!

minded children don't go upstairs unless i'm putting them down for a sleep, or occaisonally DS will ask if he & older mindees can play lego in his room.