How do you avoid one DC playing with sibling's toys?

[fedoragirl]

At this point, I am more concerned about safety than sibling drama. DS is almost 9 months and is getting into DD's Lego Duplos. I am a very much by the book person so I am always removing the legos from DS' grasp. I know they are too big to be a choking hazard but I remove them anyway.
It's a battle I am beginning to tire of. So, what are my options? What do you do other than separate the kiddos into their own realms with their own toys?

[SnuggleBuggles]

Only if they were honest to goodness choking hazards.

[lhafer]

DD1 was 4yrs old when DD2 was 9 months old. I just took out all the true choking hazards (polly pockets, etc).

Pick your battles or you will be too tired for the real ones. If the duplos are too big to be a choking hazard, then what's the harm? It will help DC#1 learn how to share, and will keep DC #2 from throwing tantrums (usually).

For toys that were specifically DD1's I kept them separate and in her room.

[ett]

Only if they were honest to goodness choking hazards.

:yeahthat: Or if it's something that I wouldn't want in their months.

I'm not sure that I understand your reasoning for removing the duplos. Is it from a safety standpoint or that the duplos belong to your DD? From a safety standpoint, I am comfortable with a 9 month old handling duplos. But in our household, all toys are shared unless they are not age appropriate for DS2 (in which case they stay in DS1's room). So the duplos would be a shared toy but if the older child was playing with it, I would prevent the younger child from interfering and messing things up. But I would let the younger child play with some pieces separately.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

Wish i knew. DD is always getting into DS's train tracks, duplos, puzzle pieces and it really annoys him. He makes these elaborate setups and DD just goes in there and destroys everything. Choking hazards aren't an issue, but the drama... yeah i could do without. But i figure this kind of thing is par for the course when you have more than one child.

Anyway, wish i knew the answer. i usually just take DD into another room and distract her. I think in a year it will be less of an issue because then DD will be old enough to know not to wreck his stuff, and/or she will have other interests.

[fedoragirl]

Wish i knew. DD is always getting into DS's train tracks, duplos, puzzle pieces and it really annoys him. He makes these elaborate setups and DD just goes in there and destroys everything. Choking hazards aren't an issue, but the drama... yeah i could do without. But i figure this kind of thing is par for the course when you have more than one child.

Anyway, wish i knew the answer. i usually just take DD into another room and distract her. I think in a year it will be less of an issue because then DD will be old enough to know not to wreck his stuff, and/or she will have other interests.

Yes, I do separate them at times because DD will be yelling "MINE" the entire time DS is in her room. But at some point, I really want them to play without worrying about DS choking on something. I guess I was SO c.reful with the firstborn that I feel guilty letting the second born play with a lot of things that I wouldn't have even bought for DD at his age.
At this stage, all toys removal is for a safety reason. I tend to follow manufacturer's age limits.

[lhafer]

Yes, I do separate them at times because DD will be yelling "MINE" the entire time DS is in her room. But at some point, I really want them to play without worrying about DS choking on something. I guess I was SO c.reful with the firstborn that I feel guilty letting the second born play with a lot of things that I wouldn't have even bought for DD at his age.
At this stage, all toys removal is for a safety reason. I tend to follow manufacturer's age limits.

If that's the case, this means that pretty much no children under the age of 3 can have any toy because (at least in my experience) they all have the choking hazard warning/not for 0-3 ages label. ON EVERYTHING. And I mean like a stuffed animal that has stitches for eyes (instead of buttons). I

You get more lax as you have subsequent kids. Every parent I know is like this. I tend to think that thanks to the litigious society we have now, manufacturers have to have labels on everything (warranted or not) to cover their own @sses, instead of allowing people to have common sense for themselves.

[mommyp]

DD is 4.5, DS is 8.5 months. He is into everything! Only the actual choking hazards are out of his reach (ie. real Legos, Melissa and Doug princess castle, etc.) We have a gate dividing the living area, on one side both of them can play, but toys must all be safe for him. I seriously think almost everything he plays with is beyond his age limit, he's playing with the Little People farm and school bus a lot, plus the Duplos. Sometimes DD plays with them too, as she hadn't given up the Little People stuff yet and shows him how to build with the Duplos. Other times she is happy to move to the other side (or her room) and play with her smaller toys.

[m4nash]

I'm not sure how Duplos are a safety hazard for a 9 month old. I think the age on the package indicates when they are developmentally capable of playing with them as intended, as are pretty much any toy that is appropriate for children under 3. Out of curiosity, will you no longer let your older child play with toys that they are "too old" for (i.e. infant/toddler toys that say 6-36 months), but well within any weight or height restrictions?

I think it is hard to keep the little ones out of the bigger kids toys. We tend to only get out the choking hazards (Legos, games with small pieces, etc.) and fragile toys when the little ones are napping. That still doesn't stop the frequent cries of "mine!" though. With an infant I usually have my older kids see if they can get the baby to trade for another toy. With my older kids I try to get them to take turns or share. If they keep fighting then I try to get them all to do something else or the offending toy goes in timeout. I also try to limit the hazardous toys that enter my house since we don't get them out as frequently.

[wellyes]

I let DD keep some in her room behind closed doors.

[ett]

I think the age on the package indicates when they are developmentally capable of playing with them as intended, as are pretty much any toy that is appropriate for children under 3.

:yeahthat: The Duplo age recommendation of 1.5+ or 2+ is for developmental reasons. If they were choking hazards, they would be labeled as 3+.

[o_mom]

At this stage, all toys removal is for a safety reason. I tend to follow manufacturer's age limits.

Duplos are labeled for kids under three, so I'm not sure why they are an issue?

I get keeping actual choking hazards out of reach, like the little Legos or Polly Pocket type toys, but not those that are specifically designed for kids under three like Duplos.

There are only two categories that toys fall in for safety testing purposes. "Safe for kids under three" or "Three and older". Any other age labeling is only for interest level based on the manufacturer's target market. Since your older one is not yet three, if it is labelled safe for her, it should be safe for the baby.

Once she is really getting into toys that are not safe, then I would suggest keeping them up out of reach so they only come out at naptime or other times when you can keep him away. You can also gate off her room and keep the "unsafe" toys there while everything else goes in a common play area.

[HannaAddict]

Toys have to have additional testing and more regs for under three labeling approval so some toys that are safe haven't spent the money to be approved, so use common sense.