Boys and their (broken) toys?

[VaSteve]

I don't know if this should bother me or what.

I have a 4 1/2 year old. He has a ton of toys, cars, etc. We bought him som of those "pull back" metal motorized cars a couple of years ago. (You usually see 911s, bimmers and such on a rack at gift stores). He took a real shine to them in the last few months again and was racing them, pretty hard, to the point of breaking parts off. I asked him to stop and race them in the basement. I was cleaning up and found a container in the basement full of doors, seats, steering wheels and chassis carcasses. He has other little cars where he's pulled the wheels off and lost the tires and stuff. I know it's part of "being a boy" but it pisses me off since this stuff wasn't free....but it's more the point.

Christmas is coming with more stuff on the way..sure to get broken.

What say you dads of boys? My little girl (2 1/2) is a lot better about caring for her stuff.

[stomachmonkey]

Good luck.

Have a 6 year old boy. His first word was car. If he receives a gift that is not car related he throws a fit.

He manages to loose parts before he gets the things out of the package.

It's what they do.

EDIT: They don't seem to be overly interested in the $ value of the toy. Whether it cost $1 or $100 is lost on them. They enjoy the $1 ones just as much so buying cheap ones is the way to go.

[Burnin' oil]

I have three boys, 11, 13 and 18. Wanton destruction is a way of life. It is not unusual for gifts to not survive the day. Just gotta roll with it.

[Gogar]

Doesn't he realize that he is totally ruining the resale value of those cars?

[NineOhOne]

When I was a young child (4 ~ 7?), I would take EVERYTHING/ANYTHING part...TV's, telephones, lawnmower, etc. Mom/Dad had to hide tools from me.

Now, I can fix anything if I stare at it long enough.

Let him be.

[widgeon13]

Wait till he starts playing doctor with the neighborhood girls, you'll forget this car and truck stuff real fast.

It's a stage, they all go through it.

[The Gaijin]

My friend in college almost had me believing that boys and girls behave the wa y they do because that is the way we raise them...

I remember going home for Christmas vacation and my nephew banging his trucks against a wall and my niece hugging her dollies.. That stuff is just ingrained..

[cashflyer]

Originally Posted by widgeon13

Wait till he starts playing doctor with the neighborhood girls, you'll forget this car and truck stuff real fast.

Especially if you find boxes of parts in the basement.

[JavaBrewer]

Kids that age break toys - nothing to worry about. This is compounded by cheap/low quality junk toys that fill our shelves. Not too hard to break them with normal use.

I'm so glad my kids (12 and 10) are out of the junk toy stage. The gifts they get now are way more expensive (iPods, baseball bats, etc...) but then they get way less items per haul.

[VaSteve]

This was my exotic car garage a few weeks ago, I was fixing them. I think these things are in significantly more pieces now. He has a lot race cars and want them to look authentic, like on TV. All the paint is chipped off.
Thanks for the feedback....I'm sure I broke my fair share of stuff as well, but in cleaning up today found an old matchbox car of mine. The copyright in the base was 1972...it's old than I am!

[bell]

Originally Posted by cashflyer

Especially if you find boxes of parts in the basement.

That was awesome

[futuresoptions]

Originally Posted by VaSteve

I was cleaning up and found a container in the basement full of doors, seats, steering wheels and chassis carcasses. He has other little cars where he's pulled the wheels off and lost the tires and stuff.

Oh Lord, he is probably going to be a 914 owner...

FWIW, I remember my father (who died when I was 10) told me this one time..
(Bill, I think I could give you a solid steel ball, and I am sure you would find some God D*mn way to destroy it.."


BTW, him buying me my first real tool set with a real hammer and wood saw at the same time he bought a custom redwood picnic table wasn't his best move... him giving me about 50 16 penny nails to accompany the tool set was just as ludicrous...

[mikester]

I Efffing LOVE THIS THREAD!

I have a 5 year old and a 15 month old (both boys).

The 5 year old walks around either shooting, light sabering or stabbing everything which his $3 foam sword. We've had to teach him not to attack the unarmed.

SERIOUSLY!

He doesn't know what a transformer is but he does know that they are only slightly less cool than anything related to star wars (which he has only seen an edited version of 'a new hope').

My wife hates the gun thing and we really have to try for a balance of letting him be him and getting him to give it a rest.

We spoke to our rabbi about it; Like most reform rabbi he is a fairly staunch liberal mind.

He related a story to us of his boys when they were young. They took the gun away from them and said 'no guns!' At breakfast the boys had chewed their toast into the shape of guns and were still playing cowboys and indians. After that he gave up.

=-)

My son breaks everything.

[mikester]

Oh, and the 15 month old's favorite words are Guitar (geeetaar) and Car (kar kar).

He also likes 'doggie', 'apppole' and 'mlk' (milk - breast fed).


So far he absolutely loves books. The pages make a great sound when you rip them out. He does seem to enjoy having them read to him but I know the page ripping is number 1!

[mikester]

Originally Posted by futuresoptions

Oh Lord, he is probably going to be a 914 owner...

you owe me a new monitor, key board and some paper towels.

Everything on my desk has coffee all over it.

I hope you are satisfied.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by futuresoptions

BTW, him buying me my first real tool set with a real hammer and wood saw at the same time he bought a custom redwood picnic table wasn't his best move... him giving me about 50 16 penny nails to accompany the tool set was just as ludicrous...

Hah! One year my grandfather gave my brother and I a "toy" woodworking set. It was only "toy" because it was small.

Took us about 28.2 seconds to use up all the wood blocks it came with so we set upon my granmas new kitchen set.

Man did she hit the ceiling. My grandfather, who had been enjoying the heck out of our industriousness told her to just chill, the boys are having a great time, I'll buy you a new set tomorrow.

[VaSteve]

Originally Posted by mikester

I Efffing LOVE THIS THREAD!

I have a 5 year old and a 15 month old (both boys).

The 5 year old walks around either shooting, light sabering or stabbing everything which his $3 foam sword. We've had to teach him not to attack the unarmed.

SERIOUSLY!

.

LOL!

I didn't mention all the shooting-type stuff that goes on. The Disney light up sword, the foam play tent support thing, some birthday party favor...all weapons.

My wife bought him "boxer" underwear. He know wants to be a boxer too and is ready to battle me at a moment's notice. Sucker punches to the nuts are no longer allowed at my house. Dad's ruling. You would think you wouldn't have to make a ruling like that....

[futuresoptions]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Hah! One year my grandfather gave my brother and I a "toy" woodworking set. It was only "toy" because it was small.

Took us about 28.2 seconds to use up all the wood blocks it came with so we set upon my granmas new kitchen set.

Man did she hit the ceiling. My grandfather, who had been enjoying the heck out of our industriousness told her to just chill, the boys are having a great time, I'll buy you a new set tomorrow.

Lol, good one!, I don't remember getting a whippin for the picnic table, but I wasn't so lucky when I cut all my momma's banana trees down or set the backyard on fire...

[onlycafe]

Originally Posted by VaSteve

I don't know if this should bother me or what.

I have a 4 1/2 year old. He has a ton of toys, cars, etc. I was cleaning up and found a container in the basement full of doors, seats, steering wheels and chassis carcasses. He has other little cars where he's pulled the wheels off and lost the tires and stuff. I know it's part of "being a boy" but it pisses me off since this stuff wasn't free....but it's more the point.

that must be how byron got started.

[futuresoptions]

Originally Posted by mikester

you owe me a new monitor, key board and some paper towels.

Everything on my desk has coffee all over it.

I hope you are satisfied.

He He...