WHY are the boys ALWAYS trying to shove themselves or other objects into spaces they don't belong? It's been the theme for the week!One in particular (my daredevil boy) keeps trying to climb into the oven or the fridge on the play kitchen, he broke one of the doors off the play kitchen yesterday (hard to do, I can't believe he managed it) trying to shove it the wrong direction, another one keeps getting things stuck in the toy toaster.

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have you put these things off limits to them until they decide to be friendly with them?

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The toaster, yes, that goes up (except it's hard because it's a beloved brand-new b-day gift of my DD's and she has a hard time seeing it ) when things get shoved it it. The play kitchen is wooden, out in the middle of everything, and insanely heavy, so moving it isn't really an option. I have been watching that boy like a hawk the past few days though and redirecting him when he starts being rough...it just gets wearing, and I've got little patience this week for some reason!

It's just that when one thing gets put up/off limits, these two keep finding other places or things to squeeze/shove/force/push...

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good luck!!!!


I think Id go get a tow strap out of my truck and tie it shut, lol. tell him,.. sorry, you are mean to my fridge and you cant play with it. sorry 'rest' of the kids, billy isnt being nice and we have to lock it up for a bit. Maybe he will be nice with it later,...
peer pressure works!

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See now that is funny...I would take a busy lil boy over a whiny princess type girl any day of the week! I think boys do this to learn how things work and whether things fit....(mom of three boys)

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I would rather have a house full of boys over any girls any day! Girls are sooooo dramatic even at 2 or 3 years old. I have a 3 yr old dcg who spends her entire day telling others how they are not her friend and not invited to her birthday party (her b-day was in July?!?!) and she screeches in such a high pitched screech that I am truly amazed she hasn't put out the neighbors windows!! as my MIL says: Boys duke it out and are friends again long before the blood dries! She had 5 kids of her own (all boys) and 24 hr/7 days a week daycare!

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This got me thinking...would one get in trouble if only had boys or girls in their center? Would that be discrimination?

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Depends as to why. If you only accepted boys because you don't like girls then that would be discrimination. If you have only boys because they are the ones who qualified for acceptance based on other things like contacting you when you have openings before any girls contacted you then you would be in the clear.

As for the original topic: the boys maybe doing it for attention. Try catching them more often when they are playing appropriately. I take toys away when they are improperly played with and keep them away for over a month. I liked the idea of tying the kitchen shut since it's heavy and hard to move. I have had my husband come in and remove larger items when the children aren't playing appropriately on them.

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Ok I have to reply to this post because I have 3 boys of my own and six daycare boys all ranging from 1-8 (mostly 2 and 3 year olds). I have not had a girl in daycare for 5 years just by chance. The boys do duke it out and get over it. They are all very close buddies. They do tend to get rough housing at times (body slamming ectt) but on the other hand they play really well with each other. The thing I notice is the action super hero's we have today such as Spider man Iron man ectt seems to bring out the "rough housing." They watch this at home or play the toys at home and act out at daycare. I think the movies are marketed at this age group way to young. We do not allow toys and movies like this at daycare but they see it at home. I think parents don't realize what the movies consist of and assume it is ok for their children because it is a toy or a "kid appropriate." Lego brand is going crazy with "Starwars" Indianna Jones ectt for preschoolers... come on some of this stuff is way to old for this age group. Just a thought.
-CF

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Well, I recently ran an ad that I specifically wanted a 2 yr+ girl. There is no way I was going to take another hellion boy, lol. My now 6 yr old dd started kindergarten this fall and that left my 3 yr old dd as the only girl. She is a girly girl surrounded by 3 overly ornery boys. I wanted a girl for her to play princess with, do tea parties, play dolls etc. The boys will play with dolls and do tea parties, but it isnt pretty and the dolls and tea cups dont survive long, lol. My girls played so well together, I hated for my younger dd to lose that connection with another girl. I now have another 3 yr old girl for her Oh, and I also wont take babies. Discrimination or not, that is who I want here and that should be my perogative! I guess the fact that I do have boys here also makes it non-discriminatory.

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Oh look, it's not just boys. My 21 month DCG is getting in on the action today. So far she was split her lip open after falling off the baby doll high chair she was trying to climb into (I saw her as she had one leg up on it and told her to stop as I stood up to cross the eight feet to get her out and that's when she toppled over) and oh my! That was a lot of blood, although it stopped bleeding pretty quickly. Then after she recovered from that trauma she tried to climb onto the Leapfrog music table.

Annnd now she's trying to put baby doll clothes on herself.

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Those kitchens are really expensive, and I'd be really upset about it getting broken and would consider charging the parents for repair or replacement (if it is broken at the hinges and the holes for the screws have been widened, fixing it is not an easy task)

As far as squeezing themselves into too small spaces, I would get a bunch of small and medium size boxes, place them in random spots and tell them those are the ONLY places they can get inside of. If they are sticking stuff into things where they don't belong, I'd try putting those smaller things away for a week and tell them when they show they can be respectful of your toys, they can have them back.

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I think all kids are different, I've had some boys in my care (including my son who is now 13) that are very very mellow and I've had girls the sam way, then I've had "hellion" boys, obnoxious, rough housing, loud ect and I've had girls this way as well. I've had some girls who are very sweet, shy and lets everyone walk all over her but then I've had girls who are whiny and very sensitive. I had a daycare girl a few years ago who ALWAYS whined an cried because someon was looking at her, sitting at the lunh table she would just cry because the person across from her was 'lookin" at her. I wanted so bad to play "lets see who can look at kara the longest" lol, I wouldn't do that, I think it all depends on the child.
I had a 15 mo old in my care and she was very very mellow and quiet, just walked around the whole day and just watched everyone, but her 8 year old sister, omg, I watched her one day (she wasn't a contracted child just if I had an opening on a no school day) and I NEVER watched her again, it was terrible. Even when she would come in while they were picking up her little sister in a matter of 2 min it was turned upside down in here, she was a nightmare.
I think it all depends on the child.

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It's probably for the same reason every possible thing becomes some sort of weapon, lol.

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Crystal, I was (am) mad and considering charging his mom...but I can't prove he did it and only have a three year old's word that it was him. I might be able to fix it and I CAN order a new part (future reference: KidKraft ROCKS!!) so I'm taking it kind of as "operational hazard". I like the boxes idea...that's a good one that i'll have to work on this weekend. The smaller things are getting put up as they become problems. The playroom is starting to look awful bare, lol. I think I'm going to need to rotate toys this weekend too. Unfortunately, they are mostly under 2, and one not very verbal 2.5, so the level of comprehension is sketchy.

Tenderhearts, I do agree with you re: the personalities. I thought most of mine were more mellow until this started being a problem earlier this week! It must be the weather or something, lol. I actually think I need to rearrange our schedule and find some new ways and times to do things and some new things for them to do.

DCMom, we luckily don't have that problem!! yet...lol.

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I had almost all boys for the longest time. Now I have all girls and one 11 mo old boy. It is so great- much more mellow, we have tea parties and play dress up all day. I have not had a single broken toy in over 9 mos. I have also not been "shot" at with a toy banana or cleverly put together legos in a long time. LOL. I love it.

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