Toy Thursday: Toys at Meal Time.

So Judah is in this phase where he wants to take toys with him everywhere...in the car, in bed, and yes even the table. What is it about the need to take toys everywhere? I find upstairs toys downstairs. I find toys in my bedroom. I step on random toys on the way to the bathroom....

I am constantly finding toys littering the car floor below his car seat. Somehow these toys make the trip inside the car but it takes them longer to make it back into the house. And yet, every car trip to the store, a friend's house, or another errand, we have to have a toy for each hand. Sometimes this does come in handy at a doctors office as we already have a toy along to occupy our time. However, other times the toy finds their way into playgroup or story time in which we put it away or have to share with our friends.

Then Judah likes to take toys to bed. I really try to limit to one or two toys as most of his choices include his cars and tractors. I often find myself explaining he might roll over onto one of the toys and hurt himself. This does not matter; he still wants at least one toy. And you have to be careful as allowing one toy might mean he tries to get another and another.

Finally the dreaded toys at the table. If I want to get his attention from playing to come and eat at the table, then usually I succumb to agreeing that he can bring one or two toys with him. This works for a time when I tell them they have to sit and watch from a distance until he eats all his food. However, the moment I turn my back, he grabs the toys to put closer to his plate/bowl. When I turn my back again, the toys (usually tractors) are busy loading and pushing food on the plate. So every day I have this stack of toys next to the sink that need cleaned. Only then is he willing to give them up to have them washed from the sticky milk or peanut butter.

A while back, my co-author Sarah talked about her five year old son's need to take a toy in his pocket places. She encourages him not to take a toy along and if you lose it, it is your loss. Even at five years old, he still has to have a toy to keep his fingers busy.

Do your kids drag toys along and what are your rules? I think it is time to set some boundaries and soon.