Toys Being Broken

Today a SA dcg broke (accidentally) one of my dd's barbie heads off the doll. It is not the first time one of my children's toys have been broken and I am just wondering how those with
in-home daycare deal with this issue. It is quite sad but at the same time the play area is shared as the upstairs room are quite small and my children share their rooms so there is no room for toys in them. The kids rooms are completly off limits to my dcks and all their personal belongings that they don't want touched are in there but as for the toys....they all share the toys in the family room and playroom. Most of the toys belong to my children and they do get quite hearbroken when one of them gets broken. Do you try to replace the toy for your child or try not to make too big a deal of it? They have about 30 barbie dolls so they won't even miss that one but it really bothers them when their things get broken....

[daycare]

I would tell them that anything they don't want to share or to get broken to leave it in their room.

I tell my son if its in your space no one can touch it, but if you bring it in the DC area it's free game and you take the chance of it getting broken

[Breezy]

It breaks my heart seeing my DSs toys being played with by other kids. He just kind of sits there sometimes and watches and it makesvme feel so bad. They are rough and some things have been broken. I keep all his plush toys in his room but I dont have the money or space to ourchase things for daycare only.

[Crazy8]

toys are going to get broken. as you said, it was an accident, something you can't avoid if the toys are in there. My kids toys have NEVER been a part of my daycare, until they outgrow them and I add them to the daycare playroom that is! We have a basement now but in our old smaller house we still had a daycare playroom and my own kids toys were in the family room and their bedrooms.

[bunnyslippers]

My kids toys are completely separate and off limits, as my child care is in my basement and has supplies and toys specifically for daycare. If a daycare child breaks one on their way out in an off-limits area, the parents are expected to replace it within 48 hours. I have no tolerance for my own kids things being broken by children who should not be in an area where those toys are.

[Greenplasticwateringcans]

My children's toys are for only them and I, now, never let them share even if they want to.
When I did let my children share toys a DCK broke my DC's brand new toy and it was on purpose My DC was so sad...broke my heart. I asked DCP to replace it (only time in 10 years I've had to do that, usually it's my own cost for wear and tear) and told my children no more sharing ever.

That must be very hard your DC have to share their stuff. Would it be feasible to get some inexpensive tall shelving and bins to store the more precious toys in?

[MrsB]

I dont let my DCkids bring toys from home, so neither do my own kids. DC toys are mine and no one elses. My kids know that if it gets brought to the playroom, it becomes mine. On occasion I will have a school ager come from a drop in (like on a day the kids dont have school) and they will be friends with my own kids, my DD or DS will INVITE them to play in their room. That is the only time a DCK would play with my son or daughters toy.

[mac60]

How can you break a barbie head off and it NOT be on purpose? She was obviously doing "something" to it for it to have broken.

I think toy destruction is just considered ok by many parents. Walking on toys, throwing, kicking them over, smacking them together, forcing parts and intentionally breaking, ripping books, what happened to respect at other peoples homes?

[Meyou]

As my kids got older their toys became the playroom toys and I added to the collection yearly from sales, yard sales and kijiji. My 8 year old keeps her toys in her room now and shares with the DCK's only when she wants to but she can't play with them anywhere but her room or the family room during DC hours if she choses not to share. I don't force her to share but I also don't allow her to tease them by playing in front of them.

I make parents replace everything their children break. They can bring me a new one or add the $$ to their weekly fees and I'll pick up something new. I make alot of stuff for the kids so perhaps that makes the parents more aware of how precious my toys are. It's alot hard to shrug off destruction when you know I've spent MY weekend making the toy just for their children.

[Kaddidle Care]

It's a tough call, especially when she has 30 of them. Maybe have her keep half in her room closet and make them off limits to DC children.

I watched a SA after school for a few months. He was my son's friend and I thought it would be fun to have a playmate for a few hours after school every day. My mistake. The boy had some quirks (possibly autistic or due to seizure medication he was on) and would break my son's toys and then laugh maniacally about it.

When it got to the point that my son asked if he really had to come every day I put an end to it. I wasn't even getting paid for the aggravation so that was it.

[Cat Herder]

I never allowed the DCK's to play with my kids toys. Those stayed in another, off limits, room.

I always had the mindset that my kids were not in daycare.

It was not easy....

[countrymom]

Originally Posted by mac60

How can you break a barbie head off and it NOT be on purpose? She was obviously doing "something" to it for it to have broken.

I think toy destruction is just considered ok by many parents. Walking on toys, throwing, kicking them over, smacking them together, forcing parts and intentionally breaking, ripping books, what happened to respect at other peoples homes?

I was wondering the same thing.

Thanks everyone. All the replies have been really helpful...I guess maybe it is time to do some rearranging in my house in order to accomodate the ages I currently have. The problem is that my girls share a room and it is a small room. There are 2 beds and a dresser in it and it is full so having toys in their room is not an option. Prior to having the group of sa dcks I have now I had a seperate area in my family room for the little ones where they played and my own kids playroom was off limits to them. (My son who is 3 has his own toys in his room so the playroom was mostly for the girls and their friends when they came over to play.) The SA dcks that are coming now are their friends from school and they all go in the playroom to play together. I think I might bring bins of older kids toys into my family room and do the same set up I had for the little ones and make my kids playroom off limits again.
Thanks again for all the great advice!

[Meeko]

Originally Posted by mac60

How can you break a barbie head off and it NOT be on purpose? She was obviously doing "something" to it for it to have broken.

I think toy destruction is just considered ok by many parents. Walking on toys, throwing, kicking them over, smacking them together, forcing parts and intentionally breaking, ripping books, what happened to respect at other peoples homes?

[Countrygal]

The rule in my house is "if you don't want it broken it stays in your room and does not come out during daycare hours". If something comes out during daycare hours and is broken my attitude is "so sorry, but you know the rule - it was out and therefore was daycare property".

[Ariana]

It also helps to purchase toys ONLY for the daycare so they see a seperation. My kid used to cry bloody murder when she saw others playing with HER toys. Now her toys are in her bedroom upstairs and the daycare toys for everyone are downstairs. When I buy a new toy for the daycare all the children see it at the same time, she doesn't get to play with it first and see it as hers.

[Soupyszoo]

My kids have been taught to take care of their stuff so I tell them to put anything they don't want played with by the dcks in their room. That way they know it's safe. It also reinforces the "take care of your stuff" mentality because if they don't pick up and a dck gets their paws on it... It's a hard lesson.

[JenNJ]

Originally Posted by daycare

I would tell them that anything they don't want to share or to get broken to leave it in their room.

This is the rule here as well. My dd knew at under a year old which toys she wanted to share. I would see her collecting toys from the playroom and crawling up the stairs to her bedroom, lol.

[JenNJ]

Originally Posted by mac60

How can you break a barbie head off and it NOT be on purpose? She was obviously doing "something" to it for it to have broken.

I think toy destruction is just considered ok by many parents. Walking on toys, throwing, kicking them over, smacking them together, forcing parts and intentionally breaking, ripping books, what happened to respect at other peoples homes?

I broke the head off a barbie last week when I was brushing her hair. She had a hell of a knot

[daycare]

Originally Posted by JenNJ

I broke the head off a barbie last week when I was brushing her hair. She had a hell of a knot

lol.hahahhahahhahah sorry I find that horribly funny

[PitterPatter]

I keep my childs toys in his room and daycare toys in the daycare area. Once in a while my son will want to bring something down so he's not all alone in his room and I tell him if it stays down in daycare it's fair game and I don't want to hear if it gets broken. His room is off limits but I have found older daycare kids wandering in there after a bathroom trip just to snoop around. I have a policy in my handbook that is anything gets broken in the "off limit" areas the parents are responsible for replacing it. Also after repeated "accidental" breaks they will have to start replacing those toys as well.

I had a little boy in here age 4 a few years ago that would break things on purpose when he was mad or even just when he was curious. I told him a few times something couldn't bend that way etc, he would force it and snap it. I finally started making his Mom replace things when it got to him throwing an umbrella stroller down the stairs and breaking the wheel off. I termed him when he went in the living room and climbed back in the shevels and threw my cell phone breaking it. DCM said it was my own fault for having it where he can get to it. This is still a HOME and that's why we have OFF LIMIT areas! I don't think it's possible for anyone to protect every item in their home from every child 100% of teh time.

[saved4always]

Originally Posted by JenNJ

I broke the head off a barbie last week when I was brushing her hair. She had a hell of a knot

That is really funny!

[Heidi]

Originally Posted by MrsB

I dont let my DCkids bring toys from home, so neither do my own kids. DC toys are mine and no one elses. My kids know that if it gets brought to the playroom, it becomes mine. On occasion I will have a school ager come from a drop in (like on a day the kids dont have school) and they will be friends with my own kids, my DD or DS will INVITE them to play in their room. That is the only time a DCK would play with my son or daughters toy.

same here.....

Once again, Mrs B. & Mrs. BBO think alike!