Moms with toddler and baby...toys with smaller pieces

AimeeL85 · September 2013

I am looking at a lot of Christmas/birthday things for DS who turns 3 the same week as Christmas. A lot of the things he would love have some fairly small pieces, small enough that he's ok with them (he doesn't put things in his mouth) but DD (9 months) of course would not be able to have.

Do you have rules for where/when your toddler can play with toys with smaller pieces that their sibling can't get ahold of? Maybe they have to stay in a certain room, or only be played with when the baby is sleeping, or up at a table etc.? I really want to get him these things but am a little paranoid.

jlpev · September 2013

I'm in the same boat!! I thinking about just keeping DD out of DS's room but that can only last for soo long.

CopperT0p · September 2013

We have been clearing out slowly the toys that won't be baby friendly for when this one comes along. So long as he has his trains and trucks he's happy. Anything with smaller pieces is going into a bin for when this baby is old enough that they can come back out. I would be a stress case worrying that DS would kindheartedly give his sibling a toy that wouldn't be safe.

jllmb79 · September 2013

Still trying to figure out what to do with small toys. For now they are locked up in a cabinet and DD#1 plays with them when DD#2 is napping.

AimeeL85 · September 2013

CopperT0p said:

We have been clearing out slowly the toys that won't be baby friendly for when this one comes along. So long as he has his trains and trucks he's happy. Anything with smaller pieces is going into a bin for when this baby is old enough that they can come back out. I would be a stress case worrying that DS would kindheartedly give his sibling a toy that wouldn't be safe.

You mean it is actually possible for them to GIVE their younger sibling a toy rather than take them away?? I hope to experience that here someday! lol

ASmallWonder · September 2013

I'm dreading the baby becoming mobile for this reason. Our house now is just a hot mess of choking risks because of my 3 year old.

wedsept · September 2013

I tried keeping them only in her room, but that didn't work. I have tried everything, but nothing worked. Given the danger, I just put them all away. They will come back when LO2 is old enough not to put everything in his mouth.

CopperT0p · September 2013

AimeeL85 said:

CopperT0p said:

We have been clearing out slowly the toys that won't be baby friendly for when this one comes along. So long as he has his trains and trucks he's happy. Anything with smaller pieces is going into a bin for when this baby is old enough that they can come back out. I would be a stress case worrying that DS would kindheartedly give his sibling a toy that wouldn't be safe.

You mean it is actually possible for them to GIVE their younger sibling a toy rather than take them away?? I hope to experience that here someday! lol

DS is definitely a "sharer". He has a cousin that's 15 months now and he's always been fascinated with bringing things to his cousin to see his happiness. This 15 month old's 4 year old brother is the opposite and constantly rips things out of the baby's hands. So the baby gets really excited when a toy is brought to him.

I'm sure it may change!

flyingsaucer · September 2013

When DD was little, we bought DS a special "suitcase" for him to keep his small toys in. He could take it out at the table when a grown up could supervise. Then would pack up and put it away after he was done.

Spin313 · September 2013

We avoided toys with very small pieces for a while for this reason. We had a couple items that were stored out of sight that DS could play with during DD's nap. I started to be less worried about it after DD crossed 18m.

pitterpatter129 · October 2013

We are having the same issue. DS loves puzzles and tiny objects. He never even really put things in his mouth even as a baby. DS2 is 7mo, fully mobile, and loves to mouth everything. I'm constantly pulling stuff out of his mouth! For now, we've had the play with it on the coffee table rule, but now the baby can reach that too and can climb... I've been telling him to keep the non-baby friendly items in his room and allowing him to shut the door to keep the baby out so he can play.

Soap1 · October 2013

I think we'll have a rule about keeping toys in the boys' room, and I'll just keep the baby out of there. I hope.

When DS2 was first mobile, it was basically anything goes. But DS1 was only 15 mos older so the toys weren't super dangerous yet. And I was so overwhelmed with two babies 15 months apart that I couldn't handle babyproofing the toy chest :P

Now with a 4 and 3 year old, it'll be harder to watch out for little Power Rangers swords, but I will hopefully be slightly less stressed and able to keep a closer eye out!

Moms with toddler and baby...toys with smaller pieces

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