Moms of 2+ -- do your kids hoard toys?

mamarazzi

I can't STAND this new trend.

DS1 has taken to gathering up toys and then trying to carry them all over the house or will sit or lay on them so his brother can't get to them.  This morning, he had NINE Hot Wheels that he wouldn't play with -- he just laid on top of them while his brother was trying to play with the racetrack.  Then he'll passively taunt DS2 and talk about all his cool cars or say "you're not playing with my cars."  He used to share so nicely, so this is particularly annoying. 

Hot Wheels are the hot item in our house right now and I'm so close to packing them all up because I'm tired of the battles that ensue every time they come out.

shopgirl78

They will fight over toys (and that will generally make it become MY toy cuase I am mean like that : ) but they don't really hoard them.   Then again DD tends to have "girl" toys and DS "boy" toys and well Jake has "baby" boys....

j-w

Mine don't tend to hoard them per se, but DD is NOTORIOUS for the taunting.  She will purposely pick up something of his and stare at him while playing with it, just waiting for him to scream at her.  Drives.me.nuts.  And, for some reason, Hot Wheels are our hot button item here too.  I swear, DS has 50 of them and that is all either of them ever want to play.  Let's not even think about the 4 foot decked out Barbie house or 3 American Girl dolls and accessories that DD has to play with! 

*Disclaimer:  DD can play with the cars all she wants and doesn't have to stick with the 'girl' toys, but she asked and begged for them and then doesn't touch them!!

joseysbride

Rory doesn't taunt Cohen, but yeah, she totally hoards toys.  Her favorite hiding spot is behind the pillows on the couch.  I guarantee at any given time, there is a stash of 6-8 things in the corner of the couch behind the pillow. She's not playing with them, but she doesn't want him to play with them either. 

That, or she'll put all of the toys up on top of the bookshelf in their room so Cohen can't reach them.  Yet, he can SEE them, so he  just stands there screaming because he wants it.  I am just waiting for him to take matters into his own hands and start scaling the bookshelf.  I know it is coming, and I'm surprised he hasn't tried yet.  He climbs on everything else.

She also runs to their room and closes the door so he can't come in, which REALLY makes him mad.  But I don't mind this one so much because he has learned how to open the closet doors and I'm too worried he's going to get him fingers pinched to let him in there without my watching.

snowflakemom

Absolutely. Complete with the taunting. They are usually pretty good, but for sure there are times when DD#1 will hoard toys (tea set, ALL the colors in the crayon box, baby dolls, etc.) and even though she is not actively playing with each of them, she wants them in her vicinity and does not want DD#2 playing with them.

Usually I try to let them figure it out when they are fighting over toys, but this "hoarding" drives me nuts and I will intervene and tell DD#1 that she can either share her toys or go without them. That said, they do each have 1 or 2 special things that they have gotten for Christmas or birthdays that I allow them to keep to themselves and not let the other one play with. While generally the toys that they get end up being for both of them to play with, I think it's good for them to have ownership over a couple things.

AnnapolisLari

Same thing here.

DS will snatch things just to make DD scream, so DD is turning into a screaming mimi and it makes me yell and I hate it.