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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>What Big Purchases Have You Made And Then Regretted?
cheerfuldom 10:28 AM 05-24-2013
a couple things I thought were must haves for daycare and ended up selling....

1. large wagon. pulling kids is a pain and they never used it on their own. I greatly prefer a double stroller instead

2. step 2 roller coasters. looked like so much fun but my kids never would push the car back up to the top on their own. the only time they played with it would be if I pushed the car back up to the top for them


and things the kids LOVED but ended up fighting over so much that I sold them...

1. large plastic or wood playhouses. little fingers got slammed in those doors a million times. we have a playhouse now and I told my husband to build it with no door, just a entryway

2. pull toys. it was always the 3 and 4 year old that would play with those, dragging them around and running in circles and getting rowdy. the younger kids barely ever play with them so I got rid of all but one
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nannyde 10:38 AM 05-24-2013
Mellissa and Doug kitchen.

I bought it in 08 and I'm still pi$$ed off about it.

It's a hunk of junk.
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sharlan 10:53 AM 05-24-2013
I bought a huge wooden wagon @ the fair. It's never been used. It sat in my dd's garage for 5 years, now mine.

My kids love our roller coaster. I keep the car up because they like to intentionally crash into things. They like to run up and down it when the car's up.
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WImom 10:54 AM 05-24-2013
train table. No one played with it.
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jessrlee 10:55 AM 05-24-2013
I spent a very large chunk of my budget last year on outdoor play equiptment after contacting ccr&r AND DHS to be sure I didn't need ground surfacing. that changed their mind less than a year later!! Now I'm trying to sell it because I don't want woodchips in my yard
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Blackcat31 11:02 AM 05-24-2013
I haven't necessarily bought anything big but I have spent a ton of time creating activities and games for the kids to play with and none of them seem to be interested.

Oh well, just like meal time....it's only my job to have it available but I certainly can't make any of them do it.
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LK5kids 11:48 AM 05-24-2013
Ummmmmm.....a whole house just for child care. Not sure if it was the best idea!
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sahm1225 12:11 PM 05-24-2013
A beautiful custom made large craft table for the kids. I bought it off a toy store that was closing. It's the best ever... Or it would be if it fit in the kitchen area where i intended it for. I refuse to have crafts on our new carpet so it sits there for reading and not-messy projects!
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Blackcat31 12:15 PM 05-24-2013
Originally Posted by LK5kids:
Ummmmmm.....a whole house just for child care. Not sure if it was the best idea!
Wow! Really? That is the only thing I have NEVER regretted.
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dave4him 12:20 PM 05-24-2013
hmmmm my house
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youretooloud 12:28 PM 05-24-2013
Child sized chairs. They only push them around, they never use them as intended.
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spud912 02:07 PM 05-24-2013
One of my grand ideas last year was a light table after reading a ton of blogs about how great they are. I'm too cheap to actually buy one so I pulled out my dh's Light Tracer (he has a degree in arts and needed it for one of his classes way back when). I plugged it in and put all sorts of things on top of it at various times (x-rays, tupperware full of water beads, our Magna Tiles, clear colored shapes, etc.). The kids are interested in it for about 5 seconds, then they remove the objects and play with them on the regular table. The funny thing is that I keep trying it in hopes that they will magically become interested in it....but nope! Thank goodness I never invested any real money into it!
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MarinaVanessa 02:10 PM 05-24-2013
Originally Posted by spud912:
One of my grand ideas last year was a light table after reading a ton of blogs about how great they are. I'm too cheap to actually buy one so I pulled out my dh's Light Tracer (he has a degree in arts and needed it for one of his classes way back when). I plugged it in and put all sorts of things on top of it at various times (x-rays, tupperware full of water beads, our Magna Tiles, clear colored shapes, etc.). The kids are interested in it for about 5 seconds, then they remove the objects and play with them on the regular table. The funny thing is that I keep trying it in hopes that they will magically become interested in it....but nope! Thank goodness I never invested any real money into it!
That's good to know, DH offered to make one for me because I've been thinking about getting a light table but maybe I'll ask him to make me something else .
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spud912 02:19 PM 05-24-2013
Originally Posted by MarinaVanessa:
That's good to know, DH offered to make one for me because I've been thinking about getting a light table but maybe I'll ask him to make me something else .
Well I'm still convinced it's a great idea and my kids are just weird. Maybe you can get a cheap used light tracer on Craigslist for $15 or so and if the kids don't like it you can re-sell it?
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CedarCreek 02:25 PM 05-24-2013
Really nothing yet. Thank goodness.

My puzzles irritate me because they throw the pieces around and lose them
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mamac 02:27 PM 05-24-2013
Our wood playscape kit from Home Depot. We thought it was a decent quality when we got it but soon realized that we could have built a better one ourselves for way less money...
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Laurel 02:31 PM 05-24-2013
Originally Posted by cheerfuldom:
a couple things I thought were must haves for daycare and ended up selling....

1. large wagon. pulling kids is a pain and they never used it on their own. I greatly prefer a double stroller instead

2. step 2 roller coasters. looked like so much fun but my kids never would push the car back up to the top on their own. the only time they played with it would be if I pushed the car back up to the top for them


and things the kids LOVED but ended up fighting over so much that I sold them...

1. large plastic or wood playhouses. little fingers got slammed in those doors a million times. we have a playhouse now and I told my husband to build it with no door, just a entryway

2. pull toys. it was always the 3 and 4 year old that would play with those, dragging them around and running in circles and getting rowdy. the younger kids barely ever play with them so I got rid of all but one
1. Little Tikes Wooden Kitchen/Laundry Center-It is wooden, adorable looking and has a little dryer/ironing board combination with a little laundry basket. Even a one year old could open the dryer door and the door just keeps coming off so finally I left it off. The stove door opens the same way a real stove opens so I thought it was more authentic. Well little ones just open the door and step on it all the time (even though I tried to get them not to) so that broke off. It is not on their website anymore so I'm wondering if they discontinued it. The refrigerator door is so hard to open.

2. The green turtle sandbox. Nothing wrong with it except I don't like them sitting in sand. I found a sand and water table to be better and now only use it for water. Over the years, I found the sand to be a big pain.

3. A dome climber. I ordered it online and it was too big for my little ones. My grandkids use it occasionally when they visit but wish I could find someone who wanted it.

Laurel
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Lyss 02:31 PM 05-24-2013
My kids LOVE our light table, I started with tupperware and rope lights, then broke down and bought the a thin light panel. It gets dones of use. My own dd gets bored within 5 mins but the dcks can play for over an hour!

My biggest flop was magnetic wooden dolls. I thought they were so cute, what a flop!
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Laurel 02:36 PM 05-24-2013
Originally Posted by youretooloud:
Child sized chairs. They only push them around, they never use them as intended.
How true! The only child sized table I'll use is the picnic table type so the seats are attached.

Laurel
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spud912 03:09 PM 05-24-2013
Originally Posted by Lyss:
My kids LOVE our light table, I started with tupperware and rope lights, then broke down and bought the a thin light panel. It gets dones of use. My own dd gets bored within 5 mins but the dcks can play for over an hour!

My biggest flop was magnetic wooden dolls. I thought they were so cute, what a flop!
Are you talking about the wooden dolls you can dress up? If so, my kids love them! I think we have opposite children .

So many of these threads demonstrate to me how different children can be! Even within my group, there are vast differences. I have some children who are entertained with play dough for an hour and others who are interested for about 1 1/2 minutes. You just never know how they will react to something until it's too late and you've already bought the item .
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williams2008 03:12 PM 05-24-2013
Originally Posted by LK5kids:
Ummmmmm.....a whole house just for child care. Not sure if it was the best idea!
Same here. Although I'm renting it, I'm still not sure if it was the best idea!
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LK5kids 03:37 PM 05-24-2013
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
Wow! Really? That is the only thing I have NEVER regretted.
It's been a tough adjustment.....not having my business separate, just deciding to do child care again is questionable, that then creates a "Should we have bought this house" question and possible regret.
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Brooksie 03:52 PM 05-24-2013
Over extending my budget to get a house that's way to much money for my current income. But hey, I have the best FCC space in town! Someone just needs to tell that to the families with kids over 2!!!!!
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Lyss 04:29 PM 05-24-2013
Originally Posted by spud912:
Are you talking about the wooden dolls you can dress up? If so, my kids love them! I think we have opposite children .

So many of these threads demonstrate to me how different children can be! Even within my group, there are vast differences. I have some children who are entertained with play dough for an hour and others who are interested for about 1 1/2 minutes. You just never know how they will react to something until it's too late and you've already bought the item .
We totally have the opposite children! Those dolls are what I was taking about!!
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dave4him 04:46 PM 05-24-2013
Our honeymoon! Should have chosen Hawaii over Mexico
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EntropyControlSpecialist 04:50 PM 05-24-2013
Originally Posted by spud912:
One of my grand ideas last year was a light table after reading a ton of blogs about how great they are. I'm too cheap to actually buy one so I pulled out my dh's Light Tracer (he has a degree in arts and needed it for one of his classes way back when). I plugged it in and put all sorts of things on top of it at various times (x-rays, tupperware full of water beads, our Magna Tiles, clear colored shapes, etc.). The kids are interested in it for about 5 seconds, then they remove the objects and play with them on the regular table. The funny thing is that I keep trying it in hopes that they will magically become interested in it....but nope! Thank goodness I never invested any real money into it!
Mine are only interested in stacking neon translucent shot glasses on it. It occupies the child with Autism for about 10 minutes. Others for about 5. That's their ONLY interest with it, though.
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EntropyControlSpecialist 04:51 PM 05-24-2013
Originally Posted by spud912:
Are you talking about the wooden dolls you can dress up? If so, my kids love them! I think we have opposite children .

So many of these threads demonstrate to me how different children can be! Even within my group, there are vast differences. I have some children who are entertained with play dough for an hour and others who are interested for about 1 1/2 minutes. You just never know how they will react to something until it's too late and you've already bought the item .
Mine love the dress up magnetic dolls, too! We have 3!!
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blandino 05:16 PM 05-24-2013
Originally Posted by Brooksie:
Someone just needs to tell that to the families with kids over 2!!!!!
DITTO !!! Calls for children over two are an extreme rarity for me. In the past 3 years, I have had 3 children start over age 2. I will have 2 24m+ openings in August, and have no idea when we will fill those...
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MissAnn 06:16 PM 05-24-2013
Originally Posted by spud912:
One of my grand ideas last year was a light table after reading a ton of blogs about how great they are. I'm too cheap to actually buy one so I pulled out my dh's Light Tracer (he has a degree in arts and needed it for one of his classes way back when). I plugged it in and put all sorts of things on top of it at various times (x-rays, tupperware full of water beads, our Magna Tiles, clear colored shapes, etc.). The kids are interested in it for about 5 seconds, then they remove the objects and play with them on the regular table. The funny thing is that I keep trying it in hopes that they will magically become interested in it....but nope! Thank goodness I never invested any real money into it!
I print off color pages from the Internet that has to do with current theme or whatever kids are interested in at the time. I laminate it. The kids lay a piece of paper over it and trace. They LOVE it! You can also write or type out names to help them learn to write it.
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cheerfuldom 06:18 PM 05-24-2013
I dont have problems with child size chairs. It doesnt bother me though if the kids move the chairs as long as they clean up, dont hurt others in the move, sit on them properly. it just hasnt been an issue here.
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Patches 09:13 PM 05-24-2013
Originally Posted by blandino:
DITTO !!! Calls for children over two are an extreme rarity for me. In the past 3 years, I have had 3 children start over age 2. I will have 2 24m+ openings in August, and have no idea when we will fill those...
Yep, infants, infants, and more infants
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Familycare71 10:03 PM 05-24-2013
The teeter totter I just bought, that the kids LOVE and NY says I need 6" deep wood chips under
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Angelsj 06:23 AM 05-25-2013
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
I haven't necessarily bought anything big but I have spent a ton of time creating activities and games for the kids to play with and none of them seem to be interested.

Oh well, just like meal time....it's only my job to have it available but I certainly can't make any of them do it.
I have the same issue. I was spending a ton of time to find new crafts and activities the kiddos would enjoy and they would spend two minutes eating the supplies and run away. Now we only do that about twice a month, so when we do it is new and different, and they have at least a short attention span.
Otherwise, we learn using letters, numbers and things that are durable so if they have no interest, I am not out hours and hours.
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Leigh 06:59 AM 05-25-2013
Originally Posted by jessrlee:
I spent a very large chunk of my budget last year on outdoor play equiptment after contacting ccr&r AND DHS to be sure I didn't need ground surfacing. that changed their mind less than a year later!! Now I'm trying to sell it because I don't want woodchips in my yard
That sucks! Have you considered something like this: http://www.matfactoryinc.com/playgro...roundmats.html ?
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Sugar Magnolia 03:02 PM 05-25-2013
A $3000 fire alarm system. The fire marshal told me it was required 3 years after I opened. Not a new law, just somehow "accidentally overlooked" in previous inspections. Really. I guess I only regret it because it cost $3000 dollars.

On a personal note, I regret buying a car that takes.different sized tires on the front and back.Stupid
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daycarediva 03:14 PM 05-25-2013
Little people, cars, animals and sets-I bought the entire lot at a consignment sale, 2 farms, 2 zoos, an airport, 2 different houses & all the furniture you can think of, a garage, campsite, the entire zoo talkers set, vans, school buses, lots of cars with duplicates, + more for $200. I thought it was SUCH a steal since my own kids LOVED little people. I have rotated those toys in EVERY TIME I start a new kid, for the last 3 years and NOBODY has liked them. But when my neighbor kids came over to play, it entertained them for HOURS.
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cheerfuldom 04:05 PM 05-25-2013
Originally Posted by daycarediva:
Little people, cars, animals and sets-I bought the entire lot at a consignment sale, 2 farms, 2 zoos, an airport, 2 different houses & all the furniture you can think of, a garage, campsite, the entire zoo talkers set, vans, school buses, lots of cars with duplicates, + more for $200. I thought it was SUCH a steal since my own kids LOVED little people. I have rotated those toys in EVERY TIME I start a new kid, for the last 3 years and NOBODY has liked them. But when my neighbor kids came over to play, it entertained them for HOURS.
thats just plain crazy. all the kids here LOVE little people. I have a decent sized collection and it is a big hit
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daycarediva 04:34 PM 05-25-2013
Originally Posted by cheerfuldom:
thats just plain crazy. all the kids here LOVE little people. I have a decent sized collection and it is a big hit
I KNOW! I can't believe my weird little group. The ONLY thing that occupies them is sensory play, blocks (any & all) and cars/trains. They make cities for hours, but when I tried to 'help' them play with the airport and have it 'fly in' and add a zoo to visit, they just stared at me like I grew a 2nd head and continued to play AROUND them.

It's ODD, but I think it's because they very, very rarely play pretend with figures/people. I have mainly boys, and they pretend the cars and trains can talk (like Thomas and Lightning McQueen).

If I bought those character cars, they would flip, but I loathe character things.
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cheerfuldom 11:19 AM 05-26-2013
Originally Posted by daycarediva:
I KNOW! I can't believe my weird little group. The ONLY thing that occupies them is sensory play, blocks (any & all) and cars/trains. They make cities for hours, but when I tried to 'help' them play with the airport and have it 'fly in' and add a zoo to visit, they just stared at me like I grew a 2nd head and continued to play AROUND them.

It's ODD, but I think it's because they very, very rarely play pretend with figures/people. I have mainly boys, and they pretend the cars and trains can talk (like Thomas and Lightning McQueen).

If I bought those character cars, they would flip, but I loathe character things.
mmm....thats an interesting theory. I have all girls and they love pretend play. Dress up, animal and people figurines, little people set, "doctors office"
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KDC 08:14 AM 05-28-2013
Originally Posted by dave4him:
Our honeymoon! Should have chosen Hawaii over Mexico
Not dc related, but I agree. We went to Sandals in St. Lucia and I couldn't have been more disappointed =(

DC related, I bought a CARS Mack truck for $30 retail because the kids were REALLY into McQueen... it was pure junk. I was so mad! Turned me off retail completely and really made me do my research online. On the flip side, I got a new little people train with many accessories for $3 at a garage sale this weekend
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