https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 06 May 2026 15:40:31 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-damaging-their-toy#post-2446037 Tue, 02 Feb 2016 10:02:53 +0000 PinkElephant 2446037@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Glad to see I'm not alone on this - I was feeling like a bit of a mean mommy.</p> <p>@T.H.O.U.: I think I'm just going to have to let the stroller-sitting slide. One of the strollers is made by Maclaren, so I'm hoping that means it's a bit stronger than, say the Target version (which we also have - 2 girls = multiple baby strollers). If it breaks....lesson learned on listening to Mommy, I guess!</p> <p>@catomd00: That's awesome! I'm not sure my kids are quite that reasonable, but it might be worth a try :)</p> <p>@FaithFertility: I'd do the same in that case - safety first, right? I've got climbers as well so totally understand the predicament.</p> <p>@hummusgirl: Our seat fabric is detached 90% of the time (I don't know why they don't make them stay put better....) on both strollers and strangely, it doesn't deter them. I think having the front loops detatched is why seats have not torn so far. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-damaging-their-toy#post-2446032 Tue, 02 Feb 2016 09:59:54 +0000 avivoca 2446032@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If she stands or steps on the toys/books, I give her a warning. If she continues to do it, we take them away. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-damaging-their-toy#post-2445944 Tue, 02 Feb 2016 09:02:28 +0000 peachykeen 2445944@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@gingerbebe: Ha! This is our main problem, too (books)! LO doesn't really chew on anything else anymore at 17 months (other than her fingers lately) - why are board books so delicious to them?? She's gotten actual bites out of ours (but only 1 special book for some reason?) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-damaging-their-toy#post-2445940 Tue, 02 Feb 2016 08:58:56 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2445940@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Chewing on books or ripping pages I will take them away. Standing or stepping on toys is a big pet peeve of mine. </p> <p>The doll stroller is a hard one and I ended up giving in to them. It was just too hard for them to understand they couldn't ride in it. That thing has lasted through 3 kids (my niece and now my two) and its just now starting to buckle. Its probably a cheap $20 doll stroller. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-damaging-their-toy#post-2445925 Tue, 02 Feb 2016 08:44:51 +0000 Bubbles 2445925@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes definitely - I will first explain why I don't want him to do that and politely ask him not to... if he continues I will warn him that I will take it away... if he still continues I will follow through.</p> <p>I get your point about not being controlling and I will never comment at all if he's just using something in a different way to the norm, but being destructive in any way isn't cool with me. My one exception would be some kinds of craft materials... say if we're collaging and he decides to rip paper or shapes into smaller pieces then that's fine - I see that as part of his creative process! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-damaging-their-toy#post-2445819 Tue, 02 Feb 2016 06:30:11 +0000 hummusgirl 2445819@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO and his nanny share friend did this with their doll strolllers. It was just too irresistible! We unattached the seat fabric so they couldn't sit, it was just flapping in the wind. They still loved playing with them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-damaging-their-toy#post-2445809 Tue, 02 Feb 2016 06:13:48 +0000 FaithFertility 2445809@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I actually just took DD play kitchen away last night! It is small since she is only 13 months and she kept opening the oven door and using it as a ladder, it will topple over in her so I kept saying No, and closed the door....well....she gave me that sly look and did it again and again, I thought if your smart enough to know it isn't right, I'm going to have to show you no means no so I calmy told her no again and that is not safe and put it away, she got mad for a moment, but I felt like it was time! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-damaging-their-toy#post-2445808 Tue, 02 Feb 2016 06:10:06 +0000 catomd00 2445808@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes when it's on the extreme end of things. Chewing on play food isn't that level for me but sitting in a doll stroller or throwing hard objects is. . I tell her that we respect our things by treating them gently. If she wants to throw stuff, I give her an alternative toy to throw. If she wants to sit in her doll stroller, I redirect but often times take it away bc it ends up breaking on her and hurting her. She just got her stroller back after it being stored for months! I forgot about it and she saw it in the spare bedroom and discussed with her beforehand that if she sat in it, it was going away again. It's been 2 weeks with no sitting in it so far! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-damaging-their-toy#post-2445775 Tue, 02 Feb 2016 02:53:06 +0000 SugarplumsMom 2445775@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I tell her to stop because it will break and if it breaks, she will 1) not get a replacement and 2) I will not buy another of its kind again. Seems harsh, but I want her to understand that toys are a priveledge and therefore, she needs to take care of them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-damaging-their-toy#post-2445771 Tue, 02 Feb 2016 02:27:05 +0000 autumnlove 2445771@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes, I definitely say something! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-damaging-their-toy#post-2445743 Tue, 02 Feb 2016 01:25:22 +0000 gingerbebe 2445743@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We say something along the lines of "No Sam, we don't chew on books. We READ nice books." While taking the book out of his mouth and then flipping through the pages to show him how to read nicely. DS usually goes right back to chewing on his book, we repeat once or twice more, and then we say "if you chew on the book again, Mommy is going to take it away." Then if he starts to chew on it again, we take it away and put it out of reach and say "See, now Mommy has to take away the book. You can have the book back later." And then the book is off limits for some random period - a few hours, or a day, or whatever.</p> <p>We do this for basically everything that's removable and we stay consistent with it (i.e. the book chewing thing has been an ongoing battle for months). At this point, he understands when we say we are going to take it away and starts running away with his book. It hasn't stopped the behavior, but I think he's understanding the cause and effect. We take it away and he can't have it again until the next day. We have more of a problem with things we CAN'T take away, like the vertical blinds or curtains he likes to mess with, but we're doing more a redirection thing for that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-damaging-their-toy#post-2445736 Tue, 02 Feb 2016 01:10:03 +0000 lamariniere 2445736@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I tell them to stop or will take something away if they don't. I want them to understand that we have to treat our things nicely and take care of them. If somethings breaks because they are misusing it, I will not replace it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-is-damaging-their-toy#post-2445309 Mon, 01 Feb 2016 18:53:08 +0000 PinkElephant 2445309@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>...do you stop them? I'm not talking about being intentionally destructive, but rather about playing in a way that isn't good for the toy - like chewing play food or doll hands, standing on something that is likely to buckle/break, etc.</p> <p>Specifically, my DDs are really into pushing each other in their doll strollers....I see broken strollers in our future. In spite of me telling them this, they're continuing to sit in them.</p> <p>Just curious what others do and think. My take is that while I don't want to be super controlling about how they use *their* things, I don't want a houseful of broken toys either! So far I have been reminding them/going over and helping them get out of the strollers, but haven't taken the strollers away. When things are getting chewed, I'll take them out of the girls mouths, give a remind, and ask if they need to be put away. </p>