Is it weird to lock your playroom closet

familyfirst

Tue, Dec 24 2019, 11:50 pm

I agree with the one you at a time being stifling. Can’t even count how many magnificent structures were made with a combination of magnatiles, blocks and clicks and mentchies!
I’d give free access to building toys, (they can play with LEGO on a sheet and then just pour the LEGO from the sheet back into the basket during cleanup), but would keep the board games or hard to clean up toys under lock and key and keep the one at a time rule. This would include crayons and beads etc.

Just some food for thought

abound

Wed, Dec 25 2019, 4:34 am

I put on locks only when I have a guest and make sure to leave a few toys out before I lock it, otherwise my guest sometimes leave a huge mess and My kids have to clean it up. They actually come running for the lock before certain guests show up.

LovesHashem

Wed, Dec 25 2019, 5:31 am

familyfirst wrote:

That's why I'd allow two toys - blocks and menchies or cars and clicks etc.
Once in a while I'd allow 3-4

aquad

Wed, Dec 25 2019, 5:47 am

I have a toy rotation. I leave out some toys for the kids to play with, and the rest are locked away. My rule of thumb is I only leave out the maximum number of toys that I'm ok with cleaning up if my toddler dumps everything.
Too many toys out leads to choice paralysis, dumping and playing with a lot of toys in a short period of time. Some limits are good.

Toys that are always out: magnatiles, toy kitchen, some books (I also rotate books in and out), duplo, a puzzle. Everything else cycles in and out.

If my kids ask for a different toy, it's not a problem- clean up and give me a different one to go into the closet.

Shuly

Wed, Dec 25 2019, 6:00 am

I just had to say that this thread was so validating! I don't have a lock on my toy closet and no matter how many times I organize and label each box, it becomes a wreck when friends come over.
Now I know that I need a lock!

imasinger

Wed, Dec 25 2019, 6:26 am

I hope the lock solves everything, but I want to add that it's polite to work with one's kids to clean up mess they made in someone else's home, and there's nothing wrong with insisting to sisters and other family that they pitch in before leaving, regardless of how many or few toys are out.

amother

Vermilion

Wed, Dec 25 2019, 9:53 am

Definitely get a lock!
When my kids were younger I got a lock on their toy closet and it was the greatest home improvement I’ve ever made. There were some toys out in bins , like blocks, magna tiles.. so they could be creative and not need to ask permission all the time.
But board games, puzzles, play mobile (we had huge boxes of parts because they like to build and rebuild new things) were locked up.
You know what? I once removed the lock. They played and dumped everything. When clean up time came they requested I lock it up again because otherwise the clean up is too overwhelming for them!
They are now a few years older , and nothing is locked. It was necessary only while they were really young. Go for it!

amother

Vermilion

Wed, Dec 25 2019, 9:58 am

I think at this point my kids are old enough to tell their friends “ let’s put this away first”
And some of their friends, bless their mothers, are disciplined enough they tell my kids “ let’s put this away first and take something else out” even in our house!
And when they don’t, and I sense a visit will soon end, I come in and say let’s clean up now. I wouldn’t hesitate to ask guests, no matter if they’re family or friends, to pick up.

amother

Floralwhite

Wed, Dec 25 2019, 10:06 am

Our playroom has two doors. One has a lock, one doesn’t. Nothing is locked away, everything is in bins in a shelving unit. The only cabinet I have in it is an art supply cabinet, which is locked.
There are a few families who come and their kids literally take out every toy, and then don’t clean up. I have started locking the door and blocking the other when I knownthey are coming. It’s not fair to me or to my kids that we have to clean up after them because their parents don’t make them.

urban gypsy

Wed, Dec 25 2019, 10:57 am

octopus wrote:

Do what you need to do. But I don't advocate it. Yes, my kids make big messes, and I would be embarrassed if you knocked on my door. But my kids are incredibly creative in general and that I believe was nurtured through their creative play. Playing with one thing at a time is a great rule for keeping things clean. Not great for creative play.

My mind KNOWS that you are right but my OCD heart cannot handle the mess! I would lock if I could! But I just wanted to say that I really admire your parenting, and I wish I could be more like you. Your children are VERY fortunate.

Snickers18

Wed, Dec 25 2019, 1:26 pm

The day after a family came over and took every. Single. Toy (and there were many) off the shelves was the day that we bought locks for all our toy cabinets. Our kids have a one toy at a time policy which they’re good about but it never hurts to be cautious. No regrets! And if people think it’s weird, so what? At least I don’t have to make myself crazy cleaning constantly.

Ema of 5

Wed, Dec 25 2019, 3:59 pm

Taking out a few toys at a time and playing with them is different than systematically going from toy to toy and dumping the whole thing on the floor, without playing with anything. Dumping is not a game. It’s also how things get lost or broken, and I’m totally not ok with that.
If your kid wants to dump out every toy I have, that’s fine, as long as YOU are going to clean it up, not me and my kids.

chipmunks

Wed, Dec 25 2019, 5:58 pm

I just want to clarify that in our house "one toy rule" means one toy or game or playset per kid at a time and almost inevitably there will be intermingling, so honestly, it doesn't have to be stifling. Especially since I'm not neurotic about enforcing it. It's more there so I can (gently?) remind them of the basic concept when things start to get out of hand.

Seriously, if my kid wants to play with her stuffed animals she can have a line-up of them having a picnic with her kitchen toys. I'm not going to say, "no, no, sweetie, just one teddy bear!" I mean, my kids even *gasp* mix their play-doh colors! Which was NOT allowed when I was a kid.... Laugh

Mentioning because based on my very unscientific observations of family and friends, many people have some version of this rule but almost no one is actually limiting their kids' options beyond basic cleanliness and common sense. Smile

ETA: And the locking is more so an adult is present when they choose what to play with, hopefully preventing everything they didn't choose ending up all over the place and making sure things are put back in the right spot in the end.

pizza4

Wed, Dec 25 2019, 6:31 pm

I wouldn't, instead teach your kids to be responsible about putting the toys away. If having a conversation with the adults that can't help unpacking when they visit, doesn't work, perhaps a lock only when they come.

My toy closet does not have a lock, though at several points I almost did put one in. I have a rule that only 1 big toy can be out at a time.
A big toy is Lego, blocks, trains or playstix...
Arts n crafts things need to be put away as soon as they're done with it. The rest of the random toys and small games stay out often but I'm okay with it as long as it stays in the playroom. We clean up the playroom every week or two and put everything away.

Ema of 5

Thu, Dec 26 2019, 10:01 am

pizza4 wrote:

I only lock my playroom for OTHER kids (not all other kids, just the ones I know will make a monster mess and not clean up.) when this happens, I bring 2 or 3 toy bins into the living room, and that’s what everyone can play with.