Infant safety/toddler toys

[DeeEast]

I'm trying to sort out how to handle the fact that my twins are now crawling and getting into everything, coupled with the fact it seems like the majority of my 2.5 year old's toys are choking hazzards or just something the babies shouldn't have access to. I haven't figured out a way to gate them off from DD's play area.

The way the house is set up, the family room is pretty much full of DD's toys and that's where we spend out days. I am guessing I'll just have to put away a lot of DD's toys for a while, but I'm curious as to how other mothers of more than one handled this?

Oh and I should add that my older DD has just started giving the babies her toys too.

[amp]

Also anxious to hear how others deal with this.

[bnme]

My DS's are currently 3yo and 20 months, so a similar age difference to yours. We started restricting certain toys (for the older one)for play at the kitchen table only. We did this with crayons and other toys with small parts. And we probably held off on buying certain types of things to limit problems. I remember at Christmas I wanted to buy the older one a set of small plastic dinosaurs, but then thought they'd be too attractive to the little one and put them back. Some toys I pull out only during nap time (play doh & board games). I have to admit that the little one had access to toys that he probably shouldn't have. Like match box cars which he has been playing with forever.

I am not dealing with the choking hazzard issue as much anymore. But now the older one is into playing board games. And the younger one mostly likes to throw the pieces :). Plus the little one wants to do whatever his older brother is doing so the kitch table doesn't work much anymore (he can climb!). It's getting harder to 'busy' the little one while playing 'big boy toys' with his brother - he wants to do it all. And knows if he is being restricted in anyway.

Good question! Interested to hear other responses because this is a continuing issue for me.

[kellyotn]

Yup, we got a big plastic bin of "restricted" toys and art supplies. The oldest gets them doled out when the youngest is sleeping, etc. Its hard to remember to get them and their accompanying small parts put back everytime, but its all I could come up with.

On the upside, its a bunch of toys that are out of sight and she appreciates them more when she can use them. Now that they are both getting older, the youngest has more access to lots of the stuff but I still keep them doled out separately so as to cut down on the number of "accompanying small parts" that would otherwise drive me insane.

[s7714]

I'm curious to see people's solutions too. We're on similar ground with my 3yo and 10m old too.

I've been seriously contemplating moving some couches in our living room (we spend most of our time in the family room) to create a little haven for my older DD to play in. I'm sure she'd get a kick out of it, especially if I put up her little play tent at one end or something, but being the drama queen toddler she is, it's quite possible she'd hate it too...

ET spelling

Jennifer
Mommy to
DD 3/03
DD 6/05

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