Toy Rooms are all Well and Good Until….
Posted in Featured educationDo you have a toy room in your house or do you have bedrooms with toys? We’ve done this several ways. We’ve moved furniture between the three bedrooms more times than I care to count.
The boys had separate rooms in the beginning, then one day I came home and Wayne had moved them to the same room. Bad idea, we moved them back to separate rooms. Then, after they were another year or 2 older, we put them back in the same and created the “toy room”. Then, the room that we formerly called our office became their bedroom because it was bigger and that left a small toy room and a small storage room.
And, with the start of school and the fact that the 4 year old tends to talk and talk and talk to avoid going to sleep, the 6 year old then cries and whines because he can’t go to sleep for the talking. And, some nights? Some nights they both just down right played.
And, so the idea was born, back to separate rooms. I am a genius like that. We emptied the toy room into the family room and and all but furniture out their bedroom. Who needed a toy room when they had so many toys in their bedroom? Grrrrr!
We commenced to moving the heavy stuff and I put them to separating the piles of toys. Once my part was done, I sat down and helped them separate and I quietly tossed about half of the stuff in the trash. SHHHHHHHHHHHH!
So, now when they get in trouble, we can send them to their room and they can do whatever as long as they aren’t bugging one another, right? Before when we sent them to their room, the other kid followed and nothing was solved. My philosophy is this, our kids like to be with us, so if “sending them to their room” is the punishment, I don’t care if they play once they get in there…I just want them to know that what they did was unacceptable.
So, how has the first 2 ours gone since we finished our little project? Well, they have played in their rooms, they have played in each others room and currently as they were in trouble because someone hit someone and someone hit someone else…….the child being punished is sitting in front of my bedroom door (it’s closed, no one is giving him attention) and the other one? The other one is standing in front of my new Frigidaire washing machine because I am washing comforters, mattress covers and sheets and I’m using the super duper sanitizing cycle. How cool is that?
So much for “go to your room”. It worked on Happy Days, why is it not working here?
So, do you have a toy room? Separate bedrooms or one for multiple children? How do you work it all out?
“Have you considered a casual area like pergolas or outdoor patios as a play room? It works fabulously for me. The kids can make as much mess as they like because the furniture is virtually indestructible and then when they’re finished the day’s play, we make a game of stacking it all into the colorful plastic storage boxes we’ve made a part of the casual “”decor”".
No mess, no fuss and plenty of fresh air. What more could a parent ask for, maybe other than a little sanity?
“
I have tried all of the methods you listed above and them some. When we built our house I almost wish we had opted for the “Bonus Room” feature.
Now that our kids are older they are more interested in being on the computer and playing outside, which are both much easier to maintain!
We made a Toy room once all of our kids moved out. The wife and I took one of the rooms to use as a place for our Disney stuff. One of the walls we use for my star wars and star trek toys. We have so much stuff we have collected that are stored in big plastic containers. Now we can bring out our toys and put them on the shelves and tables in the room.
Have you considered a casual area like pergolas or outdoor patios as a play room? It works fabulously for me. The kids can make as much mess as they like because the furniture is virtually indestructible and then when they’re finished the day’s play, we make a game of stacking it all into the colorful plastic storage boxes we’ve made a part of the casual “decor”.
No mess, no fuss and plenty of fresh air. What more could a parent ask for, maybe other than a little sanity?
Well, we have 4 kids and our we often have a “Toy House”, not just a “Toy Room”. All joking aside, after we moved into our recent home, we designated the loft area as the toy room, in an attempt to get the bulk of the toys out of the other living spaces (like the family room).
That worked and still works in short stints. We found that the kids like to spend time in the family room, so we find that allowing them to have a couple of toys in the family room with a designated spot (or rubbermaid bucket type container) for their stuff. If they want to bring a new toy down, they have to take something back up to their room or the official toy room.
Not perfect, but it’s better than it was before.
Good Luck !
Ken
Great News regarding the Toys and other gifts for your home. I am really feels good to see the post online. It helps many online visitors and helpful in slove their problem.
We try to kep the kids invlived with the family as much as possible. They have toys, but not as many as most kids. We try to get them outside more and alot of those toys stay in the garage.